Displaced
by CaptainPrice
Summary: A young specialist's day soon goes south when he gets caught in a firefight, but that's to be expected in a combat environment. However, no amount of training or combat was enough to prepare him for what would only be the start to a new assignment.
1. SNAFU

**I really have a problem. I need a way to quell my imagination so I can stop coming up with story ideas. If you have noticed I deleted my RWBY story "A Hero's Ascension" and replaced it with this one to go along with my other more popular one. Now in fairness, this idea was inspired by and generated after reading the story "Solipsism" by wahs96, which I highly recommend reading. I wanted to try my hand at a RWBY OC story, but we'll see where this goes. I already got a skeleton of the story made and what I want to do with it. Possibly 25 chapters at the most. Anyway, let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The uniformed man rubbed his exposed neck tenderly and hissed under his breath. That's what came with being caught under the harsh sun day in and day out. Sun, gusty winds, sandstorms, and nothing but sand.

Sand. Just thinking about that small, coarse and gritty material made him uncomfortable. It got everywhere and no matter how hard you tried to brush it off, it clung to everything it could and stuck to it. Much like it did to the convoy as it continued its steady pace down the road.

The specialist licked his dry, cracked lips and ducked out of the turret and back inside the HMMWV. He brought his canteen up to his lips and guzzled down whatever remained inside of it. It only made his parched throat ache more.

"The heat too much for you, Blackburn?"

Blackburn turned his attention to the source of the voice and could see the eyes of Sergeant Carlson looking back at him through his tinted goggles. He only rolled his eyes and got back into the turret to resume his position on the .50.

The harsh wind grazed his flesh and he grimaced as the sand began to cling to his burnt skin. He squinted through his goggles to try and see down the road. Ahead he was just barely able to make out the overpass and the traffic heading into the city. He pounded his fist on top of the HMMWV's roof.

"Whatcha' got?" Carlson called from the driver's seat.

"Overpass and a shitload of cars!" Blackburn answered back.

"How bad?"

"Backed up like you were the other night."

"Fuck yourself."

Blackburn smirked inwardly and kept his hands resting on the grips, ready to squeeze the trigger. As the convoy began to slow down to accommodate for the traffic ahead, his mind wandered off to the mission brief that the LT gave before they stepped off.

Their convoy was to travel down the highway and through Kabul to get to Bagram Air Base. According to their intelligence reports there was increased enemy activity along the highway. More IEDs were being placed along the highway and within the past two weeks there had been seven firefights, all started from ambushes. With that in mind, it added to the specialist's concerns. It was bad enough they were going through a city, but it was worse that they were on a busy highway.

The convoy stopped and Blackburn could see the cause of the traffic backup. Just under the overpass there was a car accident that was blocking the highway.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

His eyes shifted from left to right, taking in the opposite highway and the ramp to the overpass. No matter which route they took, it would take time to get control of the area to guide the convoy through.

"All vehicles this is Prowler Actual, we will be moving around to the right. I say again, we're moving right to the ramps, over," came Lieutenant Coen's voice.

"Roger. Prowler-One is moving to set up the block, over," said Carlson.

The HMMWV revved loudly as Carlson pressed down on the gas and led it up ramp. When they reached the top, he pulled it to the left side and blocked the entrance of the bridge, garnering angry honks from the cars he cut off.

They were soon joined by Prowler-Two and they blocked the right side to allow a clear path for the rest of the convoy to file through. One by one, each vehicle crossed over the pass and down the ramp bypassing the accident below.

"So what are the chances we'll get attacked on the way to Bagram?" Busch asked.

"You heard the LT. Intel says we have a good chance of getting hit with something," Harvick replied.

"Bro, asking those MI pogs to be right is like asking Helen Keller to whistle."

Blackburn only shook his head, but could not stop the small smirk from spreading across his face. That was one of the many perks that came with being in a line unit. The men had twisted senses of humor that would mortify those who were not familiar with the military and most likely get butthurt, politically correct responses from those that were uncomfortable.

"Prowler-One, Prowler Actual, you are clear to take lead position, over," said Coen.

"Roger." Carlson drove down the ramp and back to the convoy.

The convoy resumed its trek to Kabul and the city grew closer with each passing minute. Each gunner scanned their sectors for any suspicious activity and possible IED locations, but nothing had come up. Much like how the Taliban and al-Qaeda adapted to their strategies, they had to do the same when it came to their biggest killer being IEDs. Years of battle made them wiser with what to expect, but they still managed to hit them with those deadly explosives from time to time.

A whistle met Blackburn's ears followed by a loud boom just fifty meters to his right.

"Incoming!" He hollered.

"Roger!" Carlson gunned the HMMWV, plucking the receiver of his radio from the dashboard. "Prowler Actual this is Prowler-One, we're taking indirect fire, over!"

"Roger that, Prowler-One. Do you have eyes on?" Coen answered.

"Negative. I think it came from somewhere in the city."

"Roger. Keep pushing through, over."

"Roger that. Out."

Carlson floored the HMMWV as fast as it could go to escape the mortars that were zeroing on their location. As they sped towards the city, Blackburn tried to pinpoint an area of interest where the mortars could be set up, but could find nothing. He growled under his breath and spared a quick look to the convoy trailing them and could see nothing but a giant trail of sand billowing behind as they continued down the road.

He turned and saw something on the opposite highway speeding towards them. His fingers resting on the trigger, ready to send a quick burst. He cursed when another mortar landed in front of the HMMWV, making Carlson swerve instinctively.

"Contact left!" Shouted Harvick from below.

A hiss and a snap met Blackburn's ear and he flinched in surprise. The car that soared down the highway towards them had veered around and was now running parallel to them. Inside the beat up car was three insurgents, two shooting, one driving.

"Light them up, Blackburn!" Carlson barked at him.

Blackburn was already ahead of him and aimed the .50 down at the car. What happened next was the last thing he expected. The second he was about to obliterate the car, his brown eyes caught sight of a lone wire beside the insurgent in the backseat.

His mind going a mile a minute, he opened his mouth to shout their IED warning.

"Landslide! Landslide!"

Carlson immediately shifted the HMMWV to go off road and away from the car, but it was not soon enough. A flash of orange light burst beside the HMMWV. The blast made him drop back in the HMMWV instinctively and brace as it began to topple.

The last thing he remembered was the vehicle rolling into the ditch with the entire front of it engulfed in flames.

* * *

Blackburn's eyes opened slowly and he could feel his legs dragging across the sand. Looking up he was able to see a blurry figure. His ears continued to ring loudly and he was only able to catch bits and pieces of shouts from others around him.

He winced when he felt his back come into contact with something hard. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the large rock he was dragged behind for cover. He slowly turned his head and was able to make out the face of the one who saved him.

"Harvick?" Blackburn asked.

"Don't move yet! Wait 'till you shake it off!" Harvick kept a firm hand on his chest.

"Where's Carlson and Busch?"

Harvick said nothing and handed his rifle back to him. He then stood up and poked his head out behind cover to return fire.

Carlson and Busch were okay, right? They got out like he and Harvick did, right? Blackburn's face scrunched up in pain when he tried to push himself up. That rollover did a number on him and he could feel sharp, stabbing pains in his arms and legs.

He then peered around the rock like Harvick to see that the convoy was still on the road, but everyone was out of the vehicles and away from the road. Bullets hissed back and forth over the highway. Across the road about six hundred meters away was a hill that was providing the insurgents high ground over the highway. He soon ducked back behind the rock, taking a deep breath as a bullet snapped off of it.

"Jesus!" He was forced to duck again.

"You good?" Harvick asked.

"I just survived an IED. I'm better than good, I'm fuckin' awesome!"

Blackburn fiddled for his radio to contact Coen.

"Prowler Actual this is Prowler-One, we need suppressing fire on that hill!" Blackburn sunk lower behind the rock.

"Negative! There's too many to lay it down effectively!" Coen answered back. "Dig in and hold on! I'm calling in CAS!"

Blackburn cursed loudly and craned his neck out from the rock. He finally spotted the remains of the HMMWV. How he and Harvick survived the explosion and rollover, he had no idea. It did not take a genius to figure out what happened to Carlson. The entire driver's side of the HMMWV was an inferno.

It may have been a trick of the eye, but Blackburn thought he saw something moving near the smoldering remains of their HMMWV. He squinted and this time he was able to confirm it. Below the smoke he could make out a figure garbed in OCP crawling slowly from the wreckage.

"Harvick, I got eyes on Busch!" Blackburn turned to him.

"What?" Harvick looked back in disbelief. "Holy shit."

"We gotta' get him over here."

"You got a plan?"

Blackburn fumbled around his vest and pulled out one of his smoke grenades. He held it up to Harvick who looked hesitant about the idea.

"We're not leaving him out there. Draw fire so I can pop this and I'll go get him," said Blackburn.

Harvick nodded and gave him a quick countdown. He spun up and fired round after round to allow the specialist to deploy his grenade. The second the grenade flew, he felt two shots hit him. One in the arm and the other stunned him as it crashed into his plated vest. He ducked behind the rock to recuperate and the second he did, Blackburn vaulted from behind his cover and bolted for the burning remains of the HMMWV.

Throughout his life, especially since he joined the Army, Blackburn frequently heard the phrase, "Mind says yes, body says no." However it was always in a joking context when he did. It wasn't until his first firefight that he truly realized how sobering the phrase was. You knew what you wanted to do and had to act on it, but your body was anchored with hesitation. The realization that death had you in its clutches gets put into perspective quick when you try to make the right decisions to get out of the whole ordeal in one piece, and it only grows when you see your friends get torn apart.

He was not going to let Busch meet that fate. He and Harvick already failed with Carlson, but he would not let them fail Busch. Deep down he knew it was suicide running head on into enemy fire with no support, and it did not help that his movements felt sluggish. Whether it was from shaking off the rollover or from fear, he did not know.

The tip of his boot grazed the ground and he tripped, landing hard. Sand burst in front of him and danced in the wind before vanishing into the nooks and crevices of his uniform.

He scrambled to his feet and with all the willpower he could muster, managed to break free from the growing sense of dread in his stomach. He was cutting it close. He still had time to turn back and not get torn apart by the bullets whizzing by him.

With a shake of his head, he pressed on and got closer to Busch.

Almost there…

"RPG!"

Blackburn turned and through his dusty goggles he caught sight of a smoke trail coming towards him. Time was closing fast and he had a millisecond to make a decision. He had to move! A foreboding chill went down his spine as he just stared at the projectile racing for him. He had to get to Busch! Think about Busch! Move, damn it! Move!

The ringing that he woke to earlier returned and grew louder and louder to the point it drowned out everything around him. No more bullets. No more shouts. No more explosions. Just endless ringing, and then complete blackness.

* * *

 **Well, there's your introductory chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought and I will see you next time when I post again.**


	2. Bump in the Night

**Hey all, I am here with an update due to initial response I received for the fic. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Thanks a bunch for your support!**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The black sunglasses that Coco wore made it difficult for others to read her. They not only gave her a fashionable look, but they also granted her the power of intimidation. Anyone who looked at her only saw those black glasses that practically stared into their souls. To those that knew the girl, they saw a playful, young huntress in training. Her stride and posture exuded the utmost confidence in herself and her teammates.

A small pop echoed around the trees. The bubble she blew with her gum snapped and retreated into her mouth to take shape later.

"How long have we been waiting?" Asked the copper haired boy.

"Too long." Coco leaned against the nearby tree.

"I understand the purpose of the mission, but why did we get stuck with them?"

The leader of Team CFVY only peered over her shoulder and tilted her shades down just enough to peek at her partner. A small, playful smirk spread across her lips.

"Not one for beating around the bush, huh?" She pushed her glasses back up.

"Hey, you were the one that told us to speak our minds when we first became a team." The boy shrugged.

"True."

The boy stood up and stretched, getting his shoulders and back to pop in doing so. He rolled his neck and stopped beside Coco and looked down from their position on the cliff at their objective.

There was a small compound in the valley below them that belonged to the nefarious Faunus group, the White Fang. The mission was simple. Conduct a raid on the compound and search it for any form of intelligence and return it to Beacon.

When they were first assigned the mission, the members of CFVY were surprised. They had been so accustomed to disposing of Grimm that they figured it would just be another seek and destroy style mission. So when they were given a mission to spy on the White Fang, it excited them. Yet at the same time, it was a questionable shift from the routine missions. To shift from the usual hunt for Grimm and suddenly do something more fitting for a military special mission unit.

As she thought about it, Coco had a hunch that Ozpin's decision revolved around the Breach incident three weeks ago. The White Fang's attack not only stood as a point of fear for terrorism, but it also brought the risk of drawing more Grimm.

However, there was just one catch. The mission was considered to be dangerous and their headmaster felt it necessary to attach another support team to help them conduct the raid.

"Are you in position?" A woman's voice came over the radio.

The woman's tone was stern and carried a chilly vibe with it, much like her personality.

"We've been in positon for the past hour." The boy rolled his eyes.

"Don't get smart with me. I am not thrilled about being paired with you on this mission either," she retorted.

"Guess we can agree on something after all."

Coco shot the boy a quick look and he resigned himself from speaking. She tucked her gum to the side to speak into her mic.

"We're ready to go when you are, Lieutenant Schnee," she said.

"Excellent. Remember, there is no room for mistakes," Winter replied. "Do another equipment check and get ready to move. We'll start our movement in five minutes."

Coco lowered her hand from her earpiece and shook her head. She had no issues working with other women, but she did not like the fact that Winter was given command over her team for this mission alone.

"These Atlas soldiers really have that wave of scumbag entitlement, don't they?" The boy fastened his bladed bracers.

"Definitely." Coco nodded.

She clipped her ammo belt around her waist and strapped the second one around her shoulder. Once she had her ammo secured, she checked her watch. Two minutes until go time.

Coco brought the binoculars up to her eyes once more and did another sweep of the compound. Eight buildings, one barracks quarters, and two supply sheds. Just like their mission order said, the security detail was rotating out with the previous group to begin the night shift.

With the sun now set and the clouds blocking out the moon, it allowed them the chance to reach the compound unseen. The element of surprise was on their side and so long as they got the jump on the White Fang like Winter intended, their chances of a successful completion was great. Violence of action, and speed and aggression. That was the key.

Her eyes turned to the west of the compound and she could see the new patrol stepping out of the compound to being their rounds on the perimeter. Two teams of five would circle the compound and keep an open eye for any intruders.

She lowered the binoculars and tucked them away just as her watch alarm beeped.

"Velvet, Yatsuhashi, it's time to move. Keep your eyes open for those patrols," Coco said into her radio.

"We'll meet you at the checkpoint. Be careful, you two," Velvet answered back.

She clutched her purse tight and rolled her shoulders to loosen up. Resting a hand on her hip, she turned back to her partner and nodded to the compound below.

"Let's roll, Fox." She hopped off the cliff.

"Right behind you." Fox followed close behind.

They jumped from one landing to the next, excitement filling their beings. The two of them landed with light thumps on the grassy floor moments later and then hurried into the woods to meet up with Velvet and Yatsuhashi.

* * *

A sharp intake of breath made cold air storm Blackburn's nostrils and his eyes snapped open.

He scrambled to his knees and looked around wildly. Everything started coming back to him. The IED, the ambush, the firefight, him going to get Busch, and then…

"Wait a minute. How the hell am I alive?" Blackburn lightly patted himself down.

That RPG was on a collision course for him and from what he could recall, he had been rooted to the spot in fear. There was no way he dodged that. His eyes slowly took in the area around him as he patted his legs to makes sure they were still there.

His legs were tender to the touch, much like his arms after the HMMWV rolled over from the blast. He winced in pain when he pushed himself to his feet and raised his rifle.

Where was he? He sure wasn't in Afghanistan anymore, that's for sure. Gone was the sand he had become so familiar with, along with the heat and wind gusts. They had instead been replaced with trees that were changing color from the season, fresh, cool air, and grass. Much like the woods back home.

He started a slow and controlled walk through the trees, his finger ready to pull the trigger. The muzzle of his rifle inched around in a careful sweep of his sectors just like he did during his training.

As he crept through the wood, questions continued to race through his mind. Where was the rest of his unit? Were they even around? Did they know he was missing? Were they dead? Each possible thought his brain could conjure got progressively worse. Where was he? Was he dead?

Blackburn took another deep breath to calm himself down. He was doing himself no favors by freaking out. He needed to stay calm and figure out where he was, then he could start trying to find his squad.

The specialist rested his back against the closest tree he could find and squatted at its base. His hand fumbled for his radio and he pressed down to speak into the channel.

"Prowler Actual, this is Prowler-One, do you copy? Over," he spoke.

He lifted his finger from the button and waited for a response from Lieutenant Coen, but it never came. Just endless static. No, come on, not now! He shook his head again, praying that he could get his radio to work.

"Prowler Actual, this is Prowler-One. What is your location? Over." He tried again.

The static that came from his radio ceased and the device died completely. His jaw clenched in frustration and his knuckles cracked when he formed a tight fist. That's the Army for you. They issue you crap that never works ninety-nine percent of the time when you need it to.

"Son of a bitch." He drummed his fingers on the buttstock of his rifle.

What else could he try? His hand trailed to his cargo pockets to search for anything that could help him reach his commander. The tips of his fingers brushed a thick, somewhat heavy object and a smile came to his face. His cell phone!

Blackburn pulled the phone from his pocket and powered it on. He was willing to get chewed out by Coen later, just as long as he could get out of this sticky situation. Calling on an unsecured line was a no-no in military operations.

"Now I'm going to be that guy because my crap isn't working." He brought the phone up to his face.

What the hell? No bars, no Wi-Fi outlets. In fact, all his eyes were drawn to was the message notification at the center of the screen. Service unavailable. Figures. He was screwed eight ways to Sunday.

Time for plan B. He got to his feet and tried to find the closest hill or peak. Getting a good vantage point would be the next possible choice he could use. Maybe he would be able to pinpoint where he was at?

"Alright, what the hell," he muttered with a shrug.

Blackburn craned his neck to see a cliff stretching over the tops of the trees just half a klick away. No problem. Beats sitting around doing nothing anyway.

His trek through the woods was quiet and although it was calm, it put him on edge. It was one thing to be in the quiet, safe haven of your home, but in unknown enemy territory? It was scary. The fact you knew that the enemy was out there watching your movement and waiting for the perfect chance to strike only made it worse. There was no telling when it would happen, and when it did, it came with a hefty price if you weren't careful.

A chill went down his spine and he froze. It was loud and it caught his attention. He swiftly had his rifle aimed in the direction he heard the snap of a branch. He was not alone.

His breath was almost nonexistent and his thumb brushed the switch on his rifle to semi. It was too dark to see anything.

 _"Please work,"_ he thought to himself.

Blackburn's hand steadily reached up for the top of his helmet and pulled down. A low hum met his ears as the device kicked to life and everything turned green. Halleluiah. At least his NODs were working.

He took cover behind the tree in front of him and peered around the side, rifle high. His eyes took in every inch of the area in front of him.

Then he got his wish. Two figures entered his line of sight about fifty yards away. His finger was ready to pull the trigger and light them up, but he refrained for the time being. He had yet to identify the threat in front of him and until he did, he could not engage. Not yet.

It took a moment, but when he got a good look at the two people in front of him, he tilted his head in curiosity. The uniforms they were in did not match anything he was used to seeing like he did in his tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. These people in particular were wearing masks that covered most of their face and only exposed their mouths. The rest of the uniform was all black and on top of the shirt was a white tabard with the symbol of a creature's head and a set of claw marks in a red color.

Blackburn remained still. He had a clear visual of the targets in front of him, but they did not match the description of the combatants he was supposed to engage. For all he knew, they could be friendly combatants.

Both of them were holding weapons in the form of some sort of gun he had never seen before.

He had two options. Go past them and continue to the cliff, or get close and confront them. The latter option was suicidal, so he stuck with his gut. Get to the cliff and find a way out of there.

"Why do you think the Lieutenant has us out here?" Asked one guard.

"No idea. He's been very quiet after the Breach a couple weeks ago," the other replied.

Scratch that. Maybe getting some form of intelligence would help him after all. The two soldiers in front of him said something about an officer and this event simply known as the "Breach."

"Well, we did lose a lot of our brothers back in those tunnels. It doesn't help that Torchwick got caught at the end of the day," said the first

Blackburn repeated the name in his head so it would stick. From what he gathered, this Torchwick person was involved with the Breach and was the cause behind the deaths.

"Let him rot. I never liked that slime ball." Scoffed the second.

"All humans are slime. They deserve everything we can dish out." Nodded the first.

Now the specialist was completely lost. Why were they addressing humans with such disdain? Furthermore, why were they referring to them as humans? They were human as well, weren't they?

Another snap echoed around the dark wood, this time from behind Blackburn. He quickly wheeled around in the direction of it with his rifle high and his eyes widened.

 _"What the hell?"_ He blinked.

He had seen his fair share of animals in his life, but the creature before him was unlike anything he had ever seen. In fact, the species that the creature resembled was big. Almost a foot taller than him. Its red eyes glowed ominously from behind its bone-like mask and the razor sharp teeth that poked out of its maw promised nothing but pain.

He swallowed silently and did his best to stay calm. He could feel the heavy pounds of his heart as it throbbed and sent a wave of adrenaline through him.

"Did you hear that?" Asked the first guard.

"It's just a Beowolf. Let it go," the other replied.

"No, something's not right. Grimm are around the woods, but they've never come this close. Something drew it here."

"Alright, fine, let's go check it out."

Blackburn was petrified. No matter what he did, he would soon be kill by either the giant wolf in front of him, or the two soldiers that were now making their way towards his position.

One curse after the next escaped his lips. He was screwed! He was so screwed!

The wolf turned its gaze in his direction and let out a growl. It then skulked towards him. In a state of panic, he steadied himself and fired three rapid shots. The rounds rang loudly around the silent clearing, alerting everything nearby. The large wolf then tumbled back and landed with a crumpled heap on the forest floor.

He then spun around and aimed his rifle at the two soldiers than had hurried towards him. They came to a grinding halt and aimed their weapons for the tree he was hiding behind.

"We know you're out there, Hunter!" Shouted the first.

Hunter? Blackburn shook his head and inched it out behind the tree just enough to pinpoint their proximity. His head soon retreated behind the tree when bullets pelted it and sent bark flying all over the place.

 _"How did they see me? They're not wearing night-vision!"_ He shook his head in disbelief.

That didn't matter at this point. All he knew was that the soldiers in front of him were not friendly and he had to do everything he could to survive and break contact.

Three… he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. Two… his rifle was ready to fire. One! With a grunt, he pushed himself off the tree and from his cover. He lined up his first shot and fired.

* * *

Coco and Fox were quick to the checkpoint and managed to rendezvous with Velvet and Yatsuhashi. The compound was two hundred meters away and all they needed to do was wait for Winter and her team to initiate contact.

"Are you all ready?" Coco asked.

"Always." Fox nodded.

"Y-yes," Velvet stuttered.

"I can assure you that I am more than ready," said Yatsuhashi as he drew his blade.

The fashion lover took in each of her teammates and a proud smile stretched across her pink lips. That's what she wanted to hear. They were one of the strongest teams that Beacon had to offer and she intended to show Winter that they could do just fine without her and her elite team.

She clutched her handbag and pressed down on her radio.

"Lieutenant Schnee, we're at our checkpoint," said Coco.

"Good. Be ready to move the second you hear the charges go off," replied Winter.

"Give my team some credit. We weren't assigned this mission for nothing, you know."

"Don't get smart with me, Adel. No mistakes."

There was a click as Winter canceled the connection and Coco rolled her eyes. That woman was wound way too tight.

Before they even got to the woods, Winter had them practice rehearsals with her team again and again until it was flawless. Endless hours of walkthroughs and contingency plans to ensure a perfect mission. There was no way they could mess it up.

Once Winter's team breached he compound wall, she would draw the attention of the security forces. Then Coco would have Fox and Yatsuhashi lead the charge from the eastern side of the compound and engage all stragglers in close combat. Meanwhile, she and Velvet would split up and secure the northern and southern gates to block off the escape routes.

To seal the deal for a decisive victory, Winter would call in the two Bullheads that were stationed two miles away to drop in AK-200s and then round up any prisoners.

"I admire Lieutenant Schnee's determination, but she must find a way to control that temper," said Yatsuhashi.

"Yatsu, you're way too…" Fox began to reply, but soon stopped.

Three loud shots caught their attention and they turned in the direction of it.

"Was that gunfire?" Velvet asked.

"Yes, it was," said Yatsuhashi.

Coco winced when she heard her radio spark to life in her ear and awaited the verbal lashing that Winter would give her.

"What did I just tell you?" Winter snapped.

"That wasn't us," She answered calmly.

"Then who was it?"

More gunfire pierced the night and reverberated around the old wood. Booming voices soon sounded from the compound and the entire base lit up. Another loud boom met the ears of the CFVY members and their eyes were drawn to a large plume of orange fire that shot up from the compound.

"That's the signal! Let's go!" Coco beckoned her team to follow her.

* * *

Winter Schnee was considered a prodigy by everyone who crossed her path. Intelligent, strong, and had beauty that turned the heads of most men and garnered envy from almost every woman. Her cold and icy personality gave off an intimidating presence that was found only in the most hardened commanders in the military that demanded nothing but the utmost respect. Should one anger her, they would be on the receiving end of her wrath for a long time.

The young lieutenant had just finished placing the last of the charges on the western wall of the compound and made her way back to the trees where her squad of soldiers hid patiently. Twenty seconds until the charges went off to start the raid.

She had spent hours and hours planning and preparing for the mission to make sure she could pull it off without any failures. It was a lot harder due to the fact she now had to watch out for a group of young Huntsmen that she felt had no place on this mission.

Her blue eyes watched the seconds tick down on her watch and her free hand rested on the hilt of her blade. She pulled her blade free and its hum was like music to her ears as it cut through the night.

Fifteen seconds to go. It was all going as planned and it would soon be another completed mission for the books and her record.

That was until she heard three loud shots sound from the north gate. And her eyes widened in surprise as her head snapped to the north. Her brow furrowed into a nasty glare and she growled under her breath. Only one person was supposed to be at that point and that was Coco, but not until the charges blew.

"What did I just tell you?" She hissed into her radio.

"That wasn't us," came Coco's reply.

"Then who was it?"

If Coco answered, she did not hear it. More shots echoed from the north and were soon drowned out by the deafening boom as the charges on the wall exploded. The giant plume of flames erupted into the sky and it reflected its orange color. Thick black smoke surrounded the flames and ascended into the night.

She would have to deal with the threat later.

"Move, now!" Winter led the charge into the flames.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Came the joint response of her team.

Winter leapt through the smoke and rammed an unsuspecting White Fang member, sending him to the ground. She gave him no time to react as she cut him down with her blade.

Her men sprang through the fire seconds later and took cover behind crates and vehicles to return fire. She clicked the button on the inside of her blade's guard and a second blade popped out from a hidden compartment. It was smaller, but it would be of great use to make quick work of the large force.

She focused her glyphs and rocketed forth the second she felt the power course through her veins. One slash after the next and the occasional kick, she laid waste to the Faunus group.

She narrowly ducked under a White Fang member as he sailed through the air and over her before slamming into the barracks. Her glare landed on Fox as he and Yatsuhashi appeared.

"Watch it!" She sneered.

"Oh, so sorry, Lieutenant!" Fox bowed deeply.

She clicked her tongue and returned her focus to the QRF that was coming from the barracks. She smirked and twirled her blade in her hand before stabbing it into the ground. A large, white glyph formed under her and a gust of wind flared up summoning small, white Nevermores around her. They then shot forth like a swarm of bees and pelted the group, distracting them.

She stood up and charged at them to take them down, but ground to a halt when her eyes fell upon a newcomer.

A young man, decked out with combat gear and a rifle had entered the northern gate. When the man turned towards her with his rifle high, she soon jumped back and took cover behind a vehicle. Peering around the truck, she saw the man gun down the stunned White Fang group without hesitation.

Her eyes narrowed at him when he ducked low and bolted for cover behind one of the supply sheds.

 _"Was it him who fired those rounds earlier?"_ She dashed out from behind the truck.

By this point, the White Fang members that were still standing were doing everything they could to escape the compound.

 _"Where's Adel?"_ Winter looked back to the northern gate.

Shaking her head, she opened up a new line in her radio.

"Overlord, Hammer, green light. I say again, green light. Over." Winter slid to a stop by her men.

"Green light confirmed. En route to your position now. ETA three minutes. Out," replied Overlord.

Winter tapped the soldier to her side.

"Sergeant, start clearing these buildings! I'll stay out here with these kids and round up the rest of them!" She stood up.

"Yes, Ma'am!" The sergeant nodded.

The sergeant whistled to his men and led them to the barracks and entered them to start the clearing.

She got up from her cover and looked back to the northern gate and was greeted with the sight of Coco walking in with her Gatling gun. The brunette had a wicked grin on her face and her gun started to spin up.

A roar of bullets mowed down the remaining members of the White Fang and she eased up the trigger. A small wisp of smoke emitted from the barrels of the gun and dissipated a second later.

"You're late!" Winter fixed her with a glare.

"I prefer the term fashionably late, thank you very much." Coco gave a small smirk.

"I don't have time for your immature games, Adel. We still have a job to do."

Coco rolled her eyes once more and had her gun fold back into her purse before strutting over to her temporary commander.

"Yes, Ma'am!" She gave a quick salute.

She restrained herself from biting at the girl's taunt and instead did another search of the smoldering compound. Where did that man run off to?

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant Schnee?" Velvet asked.

"Yes. Did you happen to see a man running through here a second ago?" Her eyes fell on the rabbit Faunus.

"Was he wearing some sort of green uniform and holding a rifle?"

She gave a curt nod and then followed Velvet's finger when she pointed towards the small cluster of buildings.

"Adel, Alistair, you're with me. We're going to find that man and bring him in for questioning," said Winter.

Coco and Fox exchanged looks with each other and nodded.

"Daichi, Scarlatina, keep watch over the prisoners until the Bullheads arrive with the reinforcements."

"Yes Ma'am!" Velvet nodded.

With her plan complete, Winter turned on her heel and walked to the two buildings that Velvet pointed at. She pointed at Fox and then to the right flank, then to Coco and to the left flank.

The two Huntsmen split up and took their respective flanking positions while Winter waited out front for them to flush the man out. She had a few questions that she wanted answered.

* * *

Blackburn was crouched behind the set of buildings catching his breath. He had ran as fast as he could after taking down the two men that confronted him in the woods, but soon stumbled across the compound after seeing a large explosion.

What he found was nothing more than a hornet's nest of soldiers like the ones he disposed of earlier. And if that wasn't enough for the young specialist, he had inadvertently gotten sucked into a conflict that was none of his business.

There were two sides going at it with each other and he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His only goal was to try and get to one of the trucks he spotted when he first entered the compound. If he could steal it, he would use it to get as far away from there as possible.

He peered around the corner of the building he was hiding behind and he saw three others coming for him. One male, two females. He spotted the white haired woman guiding her companions to his flanks. They were now looking for him.

 _"Okay, get up Blackburn!"_ He shakily got to his feet.

The specialist took one last breath and held his rifle high and trekked out to the front of the building.

He was surprised to see the white haired woman smirking at him.

"It would be in your best interest to lower that weapon, boy," she said.

"You can have it when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers," he retorted.

The woman's smirk thinned into a fierce scowl. She raised her arm and pointed her sharp blade at him. A sword? What person used a sword in a world where guns were more effective?

"This is your last warning. Drop your weapon, or I'll make you," she said with a low tone.

"Hell no!" He firmly stated.

The white haired woman straightened up, keeping her sword pointed at him.

"Foolishness will only get you killed." The woman shook her head.

It all happened so fast that Blackburn thought he imagined it. One moment the white haired woman was before him, the next she was gone, like a ghost. His wide eyes nearly bugged out of his head when flowing white hair entered his vision, less than half a foot away from him.

Instinctively, he shifted his rifle to block the woman's strike and leaned back. Stainless steel swung up and cleaved straight through the barrel of his rifle, destroying it. Not good.

He hunched over in surprise when a foot buried itself in his plated chest and forced him back. His baffled expression only made the woman smirk. What just happened? Furthermore, how was it even possible that happened? There was no way anyone could move that fast.

"I warned you," said the woman.

Blackburn said nothing, but he did the next best thing. His sidearm was strapped to his leg and he quickly pulled it out and fired, forcing the woman to vanish again.

The woman landed back in her previous spot with a glare.

"You don't learn, do you?" She clicked her tongue.

His response was another series of shots from the pistol he fired. With each shot, he drew closer and closer to her. If he had any chance of escaping the mysterious woman before him, he needed to eliminate her.

The woman vanished once more and was soon beside him with her blade back. With a swift swing she had her blade rend across the man's side, but she was surprised when it failed to cut through him.

She made to take a step back, but then his arm wormed its way around hers in a tight wrap. The next thing she knew, her cheek was throbbing painfully courtesy of a solid punch. Her state of shock was soon replaced with rage and she soon went to return the favor.

Her leg shifted between his and she bumped his hips to force him off balance. They staggered away and he soon recovered his lost footing. His other hand forced its way around her back and brought her down. She only saw the front of his knee as it slammed into her stomach. The air left her body, but she did not buckle from the painful hit.

She blocked his follow up knee jab and snapped her head up, garnering a grunt from him as she slammed the crown of her head into his chin. That was all she needed for a stun and she felt his grip loosen. She spun out of his grip and did a reverse wrap. With the tables turned, she brought up her leg and delivered three round house kicks to him. One to the face, the next to his stomach, and to his head once again.

Blackburn stumbled back, blood trickling from his nose and split lip. She got ready to lunge at him to finish him off, but she soon found herself staring down the barrel of his pistol. Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, an orange blur came between them.

* * *

Fox had appeared beside the soldier and drew his attention, but the man was too slow to get a shot off. His first smashed into the man's chest with unflinching resolve and his eyes bore into the man's surprised brown orbs.

The follow through with his punch launched the soldier off his feet and soaring back towards the vehicles where he hit the ground with a hard thump that echoed around compound. When the man did not stir, he relaxed his stance and stood upright.

He turned his gaze to Winter who was glaring back at the man. The lieutenant's cheek was red and swelling up, and a trickle of blood trailed down the corner of her mouth. He was a little surprised to see the near untouchable woman with injuries.

"Nice hit, Fox!" Coco appeared beside him, giving him a slap on the butt.

"I aim to please." He rubbed his sore knuckles.

Coco blew another bubble with her gum and her shaded eyes found the man that they flushed out to Winter. She strode over to the unmoving man to check him and see if he was still alive. She knew how strong Fox was and despite the sweet hit he landed on the man, it would be unfortunate if he died from the contact.

Her legs came to stop and she towered over the unconscious man. She took in the uniform and gear he had. It was not a military uniform that she knew about. Heck, she didn't even think Winter knew the man's military affiliation. What was the U.S. Army?

Her brow perked up when the man stirred and let out a low groan. When he opened his brown eyes, she tipped her glasses down a bit to return his gaze. Neither of them said anything. His mouth opened to speak, and although it was weak, she heard it clear as day.

"Beautiful…"

The corner of Coco's mouth curved up in a smirk.

"Flattery won't get you far with me," she said.

Whether the soldier heard it or not, she did not know. The man blacked out once more and she squatted beside him. He was still breathing, but it was labored. Most likely from Fox's punch.

"Is he dead?" Velvet asked.

"No, he's still alive." Coco shook her head.

"Good." Winter's clicking heels came to a stop. "I've got some questions for him when he wakes up."

She whistled to the sergeant of her squad and nodded at the unconscious soldier.

The sergeant returned moments later with two other members from his squad and set down the stretcher. They stripped him of his gear and his body armor and carefully placed him on the small carrier. The man's breathing seemed to even out just a bit with the loss of weight.

Winter's blue eyes bore into the man with nothing but anger. It was his fault her mission went out the window and to add insult to injury, he managed to get a couple lucky shots on her in their fight. She definitely had a bone to pick with him when he woke up. Hospitality be damned.

Her eyes then took in the top of his uniform. There were two sewn on name tapes. On the left side of his chest it read "U.S. Army" and on the right, "Blackburn." Her eyes narrowed when they glanced back at the name on his left side. She never heard of such an army, much less seen a soldier like this in her career with the Atlas Military.

"Load him on my Bullhead. I wish to keep an eye on him personally," said Winter.

"Yes, Ma'am!" The sergeant nodded back. "Get him on board, now!"

The sergeant escorted his team to the Bullhead and vanished from sight a second later.

Silence fell between Winter and the members of CFVY. She sheathed her blade and folded her hands behind her back. After doing another scan of the destroyed compound, she began her trek to the Bullhead, but came to a quick stop. Not turning around to speak, she raised her voice.

"Adel, your team did… well. I'm impressed with your teamwork,"

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she answered back.

"When we get back to Beacon your team needs to report to General Ironwood and Ozpin with me for a debriefing."

Winter disappeared inside the Bullhead, leaving Coco, Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi alone.

"I've never seen a soldier like that before." Yatsuhashi crossed his arms. "I wonder what his story is."

"We'll find out soon enough." Coco waved it aside. "I don't know about you all, but I could use a shower and a nap."

Coco stood up with a stretch and let the cool air grace her exposed midriff. With a roll of her neck and a pop of her shoulders, she too made her way to the Bullhead for exfil. She walked up the ramp of the Bullhead and saw Winter sitting near the cockpit, leg propped up and arms crossed. Her steely gaze fixed on the unconscious soldier before her.

The fashion loving girl decided to give the lieutenant her space and sat midway up the cabin of the Bullhead. Fox sat beside her a second later with Yatsuhashi and Velvet sitting across from them.

A loud hum came as the ramp closed followed by a hiss. The engines roared to life and the Bullhead lifted into the air and began its flight back to Beacon.

"This is Lieutenant Schnee. The mission has been completed. Intel has been retrieved and we are returning with twelve prisoners and…" She looked at the unknown soldier. "An unknown uniformed combatant."

* * *

 **We'll end it there. Once again, thanks a bunch for the support of the story, and I hope you all liked the chapter and are finding Blackburn's character to be a good one. I'm doing everything I can to avoid sue territory. See you all next time. -CaptainPrice**


	3. AAR

**Hey all, I'm here with another update. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks a bunch for the support.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter had remained silent since the Bullhead picked up her team. For the duration of the flight, she had not taken her eyes off of the unconscious soldier in front of her. The man caused her trouble on the mission and although she completed the mission successfully with no casualties, it was disrupted. Everything would have been on point and perfect had he not alerted the White Fang members before the start of the raid.

A grimace marred her beautiful face as she felt her cheek throb again. Her hand gently caressed the cheek the soldier managed to punch in their short skirmish. For him to have done that, he had to have been fairly experienced in combat. He carried himself well and was able to go toe to toe with her for just a bit. Not even soldiers with her experience were able to do as well as he did. Maybe it was luck?

She shook her head. No. The young man showed skill, and from what she could tell, he did not even use his Semblance.

Doing a quick look around the cabin, the lieutenant leaned forward and pressed her fingertips to his neck and closed her eyes. Surely the boy would have used his Aura and his Semblance in the fight. So why did he not?

Her brow furrowed and her eyes snapped open in disbelief. She withdrew her fingers and folded her arms, a pensive scowl spread across her pink lips.

 _"How?"_ Her fingers dug into her arms.

The man had no Aura. No Aura, no Semblance. Just who was this guy? Where did he come from, and more importantly, what was he doing in her operating area?

She massaged her temples and returned her gaze to the soldier again. Her blue eyes took in the two name tapes on his chest once more. "Blackburn" and "U.S. Army". The latter name was the one she was more interested in. She had never heard of the U.S. Army. What was it and what was their purpose here? What did "U.S." even stand for?

Winter stretched out and lightly prodded the man's pockets for anything that could give her more information. She stopped when the man stirred, but soon continued her task when he stopped. When her fingers came into contact with a small, rectangular piece of plastic in his vest pocket.

The Velcro tore open and she fished out a small keycard-like object. She then spotted a silver, beaded chain wrapped around a belt loop in his trousers. After a couple of seconds, she managed to pull the chain free and with it came two smaller silver tags.

She leaned back in her seat and squinted down at the items in her hands. The dimly lit light made it hard to decipher what was on them at first, but once her eyes adjusted, she was able to see them for what they were. ID tags, and an ID card with his photo on it. Not much, but at least she knew who the soldier was and it gave her the upper hand for their upcoming conversation when they were in a secured room back at Beacon.

Winter tucked the tags and card in her breast pocket and leaned back in her seat. She cast a glance at the students that accompanied her on the mission. Velvet, Yatsuhashi and Fox were sleeping, and it appeared Coco was as well. That was until she saw the brunette's brown eyes sneak a peek at her from behind her glasses.

"Did you enjoy the feel of his muscles there, Lieutenant?" Coco smirked.

Winter clicked her tongue and shifted her eyes to look forward again. What did the girl take her for? She had class and decorum and would not be caught dead feeling a man up at all. Much less an unconscious man.

"Please. I'm not some hormonal teenager." She brushed it off.

"But you are a woman and you have needs just like everyone else," Coco continued with her teasing.

Winter shifted in her seat and did her best to ignore the beret wearing girl. Her blue eyes narrowed into a harsh glare and she turned her attention back to Coco. However, the younger Huntress was unfazed by the steely look she was getting.

"Are you trying to get a rise out of me?" She asked.

Coco only shrugged and leaned back in her seat, the smirk never leaving her face. "What gave you that idea?"

The lieutenant only shook her head.

"I'm just saying that you're wound up tight. Maybe you just need to blow off some steam?" The brunette shrugged.

"That's enough!" Winter snapped back.

Coco only held up her hands to diffuse the hostile tension she created with the white haired woman beside her. Fox was right. The woman was way too uptight and in desperate need of a stress reliever.

She almost pitied Winter. It had to be lonely for the lieutenant at times. Such a strong and independent woman with beauty, but her cold personality made others steer clear of her. No friends to talk to, no lovers to hold her. Nothing but fear and respect being thrown at her because of her reputation. She was the type of woman that only had an interest in her career, and Coco respected that.

She herself was only focused on her career as a Huntress as well, at least for the time being. There were other aspirations that she wanted outside of that and she had every intention of meeting them when she felt it was time to hang up the title of Huntress.

Coco's eyes then fell on the soldier and she looked him up and down. Although their interaction earlier was very brief, she was curious to learn more about him. Anybody who was able to land a hit on Winter Schnee was worth getting to know in her mind.

* * *

The Bullhead landed at Beacon an hour later, much to the relief of the tired occupants inside. With the students of the academy in their dorms because of curfew, it made the transportation of the unconscious soldier easier. No questions, no evidence for rumors to surface. Just something that would remain on the DL for as long as it was necessary.

The small task force was greeted by three individuals at the landing zone. Beacon's headmaster Ozpin, deputy headmistress Glynda Goodwitch, and James Ironwood, general of the Atlas Military.

Ironwood, tall and dressed in the same white and gray uniform as Winter, stepped forward with his hands behind his back. When the team lined up in front of them, he gave them all a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Winter, I trust the mission went as planned?" He asked.

"Yes, Sir!" Winter saluted back.

"At ease."

Winter dropped her arm and relaxed her posture, albeit slightly. Her eyes watched the general's gaze as it inspected her and each member of Team CFVY. The general's eyes then trailed behind her and noticed the stretcher with the unconscious newcomer. She saw his eyes narrow and then glance back at her for an answer.

"Winter, who is that man on the litter?" He asked.

Before Winter could speak up, Glynda stepped forward, riding crop in hand.

"I believe it's best we continue this conversation inside and conduct the debriefing there," she said.

The general only nodded and did a quick turn on his heel and started his march back to the main entrance with Winter following close behind.

When the two of them disappeared from sight, Glynda and Ozpin turned their attention to Team CFVY and the soldiers carrying the uniformed man.

"Where would you like us to put him?" Asked the sergeant.

Ozpin's green eyes observed the uniformed man. He lowered the coffee mug from his lips and after some quick deliberation, made his decision.

"Put him in a private room in the infirmary. I believe James would like to speak with him when he wakes up."

The sergeant nodded and led his small team back inside and towards the school's medical center.

Ozpin calmly sipped the tasty coffee from his mug again and turned her attention to his four students. They all looked tired after the late night mission with the Atlas Military, but thankfully, they appeared to have enough energy for the debriefing and no signs of injury.

The headmaster nodded at Glynda and she turned on her heel to lead Team CFVY back to his office. He followed close behind, his black shoes making small clicks with each step.

* * *

Debriefings are standard operating procedure for any military, and it was no different for the students of Beacon Academy. A mission was assigned and upon completion, it was to be recounted by those that partook in it to explain what went down and what to take as reference for follow on missions to ensure better outcomes. They were long and boring, but one of those stupid check the box requirements that had to be done.

Ironwood only got a short rundown of what happened when he and Winter walked back to Ozpin's office. Needless to say, he was fairly surprised with his most trusted officer's words. He could hear the frustration laced in her voice and if the way her fingers dug into her uniform was an indicator, she was furious with how the mission ended up despite the success.

His blue eyes then looked down at the ID tags and the card in his gloved hand. While keeping an open ear to the conversation, he quietly observed the items. Both forms of identification were foreign to him. The Atlas Military, while ahead of the curve in forms of military grade technology thanks to the SDC, never had identification forms like that. Their ID was implanted into their scrolls and were to be carried at all times. And it appeared that this soldier's form of protocol was no different, with the exception of having two forms on him.

He looked down at the plastic card and took in the man's photo as well as the personal information on it. The format was a little difficult to decipher, but he felt he had a solid guess to what he could make on it. Name, issue date, rank, but what stumped him was the name of the group he was affiliated with. "Army." Winter had mentioned that he belonged to some form of uniformed service she never heard of and that he would have to see it for himself. The card seemed to suggest there were other forms of military that was related to him.

In all of his years of service, Ironwood never heard of multiple militaries, much less more than one branch. Sure there were town militia and the Huntsmen, but they were not considered military. Just another group of people taking up arms against the Grimm. If that was the case, how big was this military that the soldier was affiliated with? How strong was it? Would they come looking for him in force?

"And then we got on the Bullhead and came back." Fox folded his arms.

Ironwood returned his attention to the students in front of him, tucking the soldier's ID into his pocket.

"I see." Ozpin folded his hands in front of his mouth.

The ticking and clunks of clocks and the gears below the floor filled the silent room. The silence was soon broken by Glynda who spared a quick glance to Winter and James.

"Can you bring up the intelligence your team gathered?" She asked.

Winter sent a quick look to Ironwood who nodded. She stepped up to Ozpin's desk and connected her scroll to it, and after sifting through the files, she found what she was looking for.

The intelligence they gathered was supposed to stay between her, Ironwood, Ozpin and Glynda, but her commander must have had a change of heart. To allow Team CFVY permission to see the sensitive documents tipped her off that the four students that joined her on the mission would possibly be tasked to her down the road for further missions relating to what they gathered.

Their initial belief was that the White Fang in the compound would have more information regarding a priority target simply known as "Queen." General Ironwood only told her that the designated individual was considered very dangerous and was believed to be the true mastermind behind the Breach. Given the violent motive behind the attack, he and his trusted sources believed she would try something again in the near future.

"So what exactly is this chick's motive?" Fox asked as his eyes scanned the screen.

"We're not entirely sure ourselves." Winter shook her head. "All our intelligence officers believe this is just the start to something bigger."

"Like what? What other crazy shit can she do outside of almost leveling Vale?"

He gave a sharp intake of breath when Glynda swatted the back of his head for the foul language.

"We don't know, and that's what has us on edge." Ironwood stepped forward. "If she can pull off an attack like that, it's possible she can do something more damaging."

The group shuddered just a bit at that thought. The Breach was considered the worst Grimm and terrorist attack in years and the possibility of an attack worse than that was unsettling. In the attack's wake, it left the citizens of Vale fearful which had increased the amount of Grimm lurking around the city and as another secondary effect, the civilians began to lose faith in the Huntsmen and military. The neighboring kingdoms even began to voice their concerns about whether or not the Vytal Festival should be held.

With the White Fang now lying low after the Breach and the capture of Roman Torchwick, one would think the now nonexistent crime would bring peace of mind, but it had the opposite effect, namely for the Huntsmen and the military. With the drop of crime and lack of activity, it only confirmed their suspicions that something big was in the works and it was only a matter of time before it reared its ugly head.

So far the only source they had that could shed any light on their concerns was Roman Torchwick, but the man had kept his mouth shut. Every attempt to pull information from the crafty criminal was met with nothing but mocking failure. If he did know something, there was no way he would ever tell them. At least not willingly.

That led to plan B. The screen displayed a short list of unmarked files that were pulled from the White Fang compound. Nothing more than five files.

Each file contained different information and only offered two key bits of intelligence, which did next to nothing with how cryptic it was. A map of the four kingdoms that had labeled attacks on Dust shops as well as areas circled in red with no notes. The second was only a log of journal entries containing short messages between the White Fang head officer of the compound they raided, Queen and another person dubbed "Lotus".

"Figures." Winter clicked her tongue. "We try to get intel and we get next to nothing when we find it."

"Patience." James rested a hand on her shoulder. "Our intelligence and signal teams will be able to get us something soon."

"Yet we are still running in circles with what they give us!"

"Winter…"

The young lieutenant rested her hands on her hips and took a deep breath through her nose. It soon left her in the form of an annoyed sigh. She knew the effectiveness that the intelligence and signal teams had was important, but it annoyed her to no end when they fell short of what they were supposed to deliver. Granted it was not always their fault, it got annoying when it happened more than it should have.

"My apologies, Sir." She straightened up.

James gave her another firm pat on the shoulder and turned his eyes to Team CFVY.

"Winter told me that you all performed exceptionally tonight," he began.

"Thank you, Sir." Yatsuhashi bowed his head.

"She's not one to give such praise, so take that compliment."

Team CFVY's faces lit up with pride and they could not stop the large, beaming looks from forming on their faces. Being complimented by Winter Schnee was great, but being acknowledged by General Ironwood himself? That practically gave them bragging rights amongst their peers for months to come.

"Now, with that in mind, I would like to extend the four of you an offer," James continued.

"Sir?" Velvet tilted her head curiously.

"Given how well you worked with Winter's strike team tonight, I would like to have you partake in all follow on missions related to the raid that took place tonight."

Team CFVY looked between the old general, Winter, as well as Glynda and Ozpin as if trying to confirm what they just heard. They could see the hesitant looks on Glynda's and Winter's faces and could tell that they wanted to protest the general's proposition.

"Professor?" Coco looked at Ozpin.

The headmaster remained silent with his brow furrowed in thought.

The brunette was happy that her team was held in such high regard after the mission, and when Ironwood offered her team to work with him and Winter more, she was flooded with excitement. The chance to help apprehend the dangerous target that caused the Breach made her want to agree, but she refrained from doing so. If it were up to her, she would accept it in a heartbeat, but the reality was that she could not drag her team into something they did not want to do.

After sparing Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi a quick glance, she could see the conflicted looks on their faces. The three of them joined to become Huntsmen and purge Grimm, but now that they had the chance to shift their focus on a more intelligent and domestic threat, they looked unsure of what to say.

She sighed and removed her sunglasses to look them each in the eyes. In her time as a leader, whenever she had a decision to make or needed to discuss something serious, she would always put aside her playful manner and adopt a more serious tone. One that would make a commander proud.

"Fox, Velvet, Yatsuhashi." She looked at each of them. "We have been given an opportunity to help stop a threat that is probably greater than any Grimm attack. Now I know you all may be unsure of this, but I want to remind you of one thing. All of you came to Beacon to become Huntsmen to protect everyone, and that does not mean just from Grimm."

As Coco continued her speech, Winter folded her arms and looked at the fashionista with mild surprise. She did not expect the brunette to have a serious side, having only seen a lighthearted, teasing nature from her. But the young Huntress had excellent charisma and carried herself with confidence that would not be shattered. The true definition of a leader in her eyes.

"We've seen what the White Fang is capable of and whatever they're planning with this Queen and Lotus will only bring fear to the people," said Coco.

"And fear will bring the Grimm," Yatsuhashi finished for her.

Coco nodded and put her shades on again and rested a hand on her hip.

"Now, you know I won't drag you through something you don't want to do. So we'll put it to a vote."

Her brown eyes swept her team once more and then landed on Yatsuhashi who had his eyes closed in thought. After a few lengthy seconds, the tall swordsman opened his eyes with his decision.

"I can't stand by and let this Queen bring fear to the people of Vale. I'm in, Coco."

Coco nodded and shifted her gaze to Velvet. The rabbit Faunus was twiddling her thumbs silently. Her long ears were bent a bit, which she only did when she was embarrassed or nervous. Her ears straightened up and a small smile spread across her face.

"I want to help, too."

That was two. Coco then looked at her partner who had his hands in his pockets. She felt she knew what his answer would be after hanging around him for over year.

"Ah, screw it." Fox gave a heaty shrug. "It was getting boring only fighting Grimm anyway."

Coco smirked and fell back in line with her team and nodded at Ironwood. The old general had a faint smile on his lips as well. More than happy to have a young team of promising Huntsmen helping his task force.

The brunette led her team out of Ozpin's office moments later after being dismissed and once they were gone, Glynda spun on her heel and leveled James with a fierce glare.

"What are you doing?" She strode up to him.

"Glynda…" He tried to speak.

"They're students! You can't just throw them into the fire like that!"

James' brow furrowed as the blonde jabbed his chest with her fingers. He gently stopped her hand and frowned when she wrenched it away from him. The deputy headmistress, while strict with her students, was truly like a mother looking out for her own.

The blonde firmly believed in training the students step by step to becoming protectors of the world. Sending students out to handle matters that were more befitting of a soldier was cold. Although Huntsmen were supposed to be protectors of the world by disposing of Grimm, they were also to stop those who threatened the balance of Remnant, like the Queen.

"You know as well as I do that Huntsmen are no different than my soldiers," said James. "They come here under the impression they are learning to destroy Grimm, but we really know what their purpose is."

The corner of Glynda's mouth twitched and her knuckles turned white as they gripped her riding crop tightly.

"That's enough," said Ozpin, getting up from his desk.

The old headmaster gripped his cane and walked around his desk. He picked up his coffee mug and cast his tired green eyes towards them. It was always the same old song and dance between his former teammates.

"Ozpin, are you seriously going to let Miss Adel's team do this?" Glynda quickly rounded on him.

Ozpin stared into the emerald orbs of his deputy and took another long sip from his coffee mug.

"Glynda, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it you who told me that it was our duty to ensure our students become the protectors of the world?"

The blonde bit her lip and lowered her head. Her partner was not wrong with what he said. She had said those words to him after she had to clean up the mess that teams RWBY and JNPR made in the dining hall in a childish food fight.

"While I agree with you that it is early to let them handle a task like this, we can't keep them from it forever. I'd rather Miss Adel and her team learn what their future holds sooner than later," he said as he made his way over to the counter.

Ozpin filled his mug to the brim once again and his heels tapped against the floor as he went to the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Glynda called after him.

"To check on our new guest," he answered back. "I think we should all pay the young man a visit."

With that, Ozpin stepped into the elevator when the doors opened. He turned to face them and calmly drank from his mug and waited for them to board the lift. Glynda soon followed with Winter and James in tow.

* * *

 _Bullets whizzed all around him. They were close. He could almost feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end with each narrow miss that went by him._

 _His legs trembled and he slumped behind a wall for cover, slowly becoming disengaged from the violent fighting around him. The bullets continued to pepper the wall he took cover behind._

 _"Blackburn, get your thumb out of your ass and fire your weapon!" Sergeant Carlson yelled at him._

 _Blackburn winced at his squad leader's sharp tone and tried to calm himself down. Everything had happened so fast. Their patrol through the city was disrupted by a group of insurgents that were hunkered down in a building two hundred meters away. They did not hold back and continued to hit them with every weapon that they had and pinned them down with a machine gun._

 _His raspy breaths slowly became more controlled and his trembling subsided just enough for him to gain his bearings. He inched his eyes around the wall and could see the building they needed to hit, but soon retreated when he saw the star shaped flash of the muzzle in the window._

 _Chunks of stone and a cloud of dust shot off the wall and forced him to glue himself to it once again. His trembling came back in full force, but it was not fear like before. This time he felt a tingle in his spine his nerves were steady. The adrenaline that was coursing through him gave him the resolve to do what Sergeant Carlson said and return fire._

 _He spun out from the wall and squeezed the trigger with textbook control. He was able to make out his bullets as they hit around the window and successfully managed to stop the heavy fire that came from it._

 _"Bound up, now!" Carlson barked._

 _Blackburn and Harvick pushed themselves out of their hiding spots and took opposite sides of the street. Both of them took cover behind a house and continued to lay down supporting fire on the window, all the while keeping their eyes peeled for additional movement on the rooftops._

 _Hurried footsteps came from behind and soon a hard thump as Carlson and Busch got against the wall of the house with him. Across the street, Private McDermott was beside Harvick and had the AT-4 ready to fire._

 _"McDermott, get ready to give that prick hell!" Carlson called to him._

 _"Roger, Sergeant!" McDermott nodded back._

 _When Blackburn and Harvick fired the last round in the magazines, they pulled behind the cover and McDermott jumped out, took aim and fired. A loud whoosh filled the air as the explosive projectile soared through it and towards the wall._

 _There was a thunderous boom as the round hit the wall and turned it to rubble. A large cloud of dust and dirt began to push out into the street. The machine gun nest was gone and there was no movement._

 _"Blackburn, take Harvick and McDermott to clear the house," said Carlson._

 _Blackburn nodded and loaded a fresh magazine into his rifle. He got off the wall and took point with Harvick on his left and McDermott to his right._

 _By this point, the adrenaline had left him and he was moving forward with the utmost caution. If there was one thing he hated after a fire exchange, it was the silence. Was there more hiding and waiting for them to drop their guard?_

 _He felt a beads of cold sweat trickle down his face. Each step kicked up a small cloud of sand and each beat of his heart echoed in his ears as it thumped in his chest. Yet through his growing anxiety, his hands and rifle remained dead steady._

 _They were close now. Maybe fifty meters away._

 _A loud burst met Blackburn's ears and he felt the bullets whiz by him. His teeth poked out in a vicious snarl and he cursed at the assailant that lurked in the destroyed building. He was not sure how many times he fired his rifle, but with Harvick and McDermott mimicking him, he was sure that the attacker was down._

 _"Fuck! McDermott's down!" Harvick shouted._

 _Blackburn's heart seized and he could almost feel the color drain from his face. He spared a quick glance back and could see Harvick tending to McDermott who was on his back, his legs squirming from under him._

 _He had seen his fair share of scary sights, but nothing came close to what he saw there. The life was slowly leaving his friend, and the gagging sounds that came from his throat only made it worse. It was almost as bad as the screams of agony that filled the air from anyone that got hit in a firefight._

 _Disregarding his task to clear the house, he hurried to McDermott's side and slid to a halt. McDermott's blue eyes were wide with shock and his face was deathly pale. Blood was trickling through his fingers as he tried to keep pressure on his wound._

 _"Hang in there, brother! Hang in there!" Harvick tended to the wound._

 _Blackburn gripped McDermott's hand when it reached for him and held it tight. He could feel his eyes stinging with unshed tears._

 _Why did it have to be him? Why did McDermott have to get hit? Those bullets were meant for him! Hell, he even felt them fly by!_

 _"I got movement!" Busch called from his spot on the wall._

 _Blackburn turned back to the house and he, too, saw someone moving inside. He could feel the strength of McDermott's grip fading and he let go of his hand to aim back at the house. Was it the same guy who shot at them a second ago? The thought angered him and made him get to his feet, his cold eyes locked on the figure through his ACOG scope. His finger on the trigger, ready to pull._

 _The figure was small and he could not tell if it was a man or a woman as they moved in the shadows of the destroyed house. When the individual stepped out into the light, Blackburn's eyes widened in horror and his throat went dry._

 _It was a kid. A teenage kid, probably no older than fifteen. The boy had blood on his clothes and his free hand. In his other hand was an AK-47 ready to be used. His dark eyes were filled with nothing but anguish and anger as he stared back at him._

 _"Drop the gun!" Blackburn shouted at him._

 _The boy only took a step forward and got a more secure grip on the weapon, making the specialist curse. The escalation of force or EOF, was quickly rising and the last thing he wanted to do was kill a kid._

 _"Stop!" Blackburn yelled._

 _The boy continued walking towards them._

 _"I said stop, Goddamn-it!" He tried again._

 _He showed his rifle to the boy who finally stopped, no more than a house away from him and his team. A shaky breath escaped him, but it quickly went back in when the boy took another step._

 _"Blackburn, what are you doing?" Carlson shouted from the wall._

 _His hands were finally shaking and he was now stepping back to put space between him and the boy who continued his stride. He would not kill a kid! The boy stopped and began to raise the rifle._

 _"Blackburn!"_

 _Two loud shots rang out and everything went black._

* * *

Blackburn bolted upright and panted heavily. A cold sweat had formed on his person and he could tell it was shining off of his brown skin. His clammy hands shook in his lap. He fell back to the bed and winced when his chest gave a sharp throb.

His eyes took in his surroundings, but he knew the familiar white walls. He was in a hospital. Was everything he experienced earlier a dream? The forest, that black creature, those soldiers. Was all of that just in his head?

He took a quick look over his body and found that it was perfectly intact, and that bothered him greatly. There was no way he could be in one piece, especially if he survived that RPG blast. All of his limbs were still there and there was no sign of physical damage. At least until he shifted a bit and felt the sharp stab of pain in his chest again.

His hand pulled up the collar of his shirt and he could see a large, black and blue bruise on his sternum. Too little damage from an RPG, even if he was wearing a plated vest.

 _"What the hell is going on?"_ He buried his face in his hands.

The twenty year old looked up when he heard the click of a doorknob and the door to the room opened. Four people filed inside, two men and two women. Out of all of them, his brown eyes landed on the woman with white hair and they quickly narrowed.

The white haired woman returned his glare and looked ready to burst. She stood beside the taller man who was dressed in the same attire as her.

"Good evening, Mister Blackburn, is it?" The gray haired man with a cane greeted.

Blackburn did not answer the man and turned his gaze to the bedsheets. Who were these people and what were they going to do to him?

The spectacled man pulled up a chair and sat down in it close to his bed. He took a sip from his mug and relaxed into the chair.

"I would like a few minutes of your time, if you don't mind."

* * *

 **We'll call it there. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Next time we'll see how Blackburn comes to terms with his arrival in Remnant and his talk with Ozpin, Glynda, Winter and Ironwood.**


	4. Displaced

**So volume 3 of RWBY has finished and I gotta' say, it got REAL emotional. The honey nut feelios got hit and it was like I was forced to watch someone shoot my dog, then kick me in the balls, steal my wallet, and then kick me in the balls again. Either way, let's get to this chapter.** **Hope you enjoy it. Thanks a bunch for the support.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Blackburn only blinked at the spectacled man as he sipped his coffee once more. His eyes slowly trailed to the three others that entered with him. A blonde with glasses holding a riding crop. A man with neat black hair that was graying on the side, wearing some sort of military uniform. To round it up, the woman he fought not long back and her gaze was livid.

"Mister Blackburn?" The sitting man asked.

Blackburn turned back to the man who sat patiently, but did not say anything. He was not sure what to expect of the four that entered his room a minute ago. It was possible that they were trying to interrogate him, but given how civil their approach was, it did not seem too likely. Thankfully there were procedures to follow in these types of situations and until he got more of a feel for the four, he would follow them like he was trained.

"Specialist Connor Ian Blackburn, United States Army. Born July twenty-third, nineteen ninety-five. My service number is on the back of my ID card," he answered.

The young specialist folded his hands and shifted his focus to the man in the military uniform in front of the door. The uniform that he and the woman were wearing was not one he had seen before. If he could wager a guess, he would have thought they may have been a European group. He stayed silent when he saw the tall man pull out his ID card and his dog tags to read them.

"I am Ozpin," the gray haired man greeted. "This is Glynda, Winter, and James."

Each name that the black garbed man said gave him a small nod as a greeting, save for Winter who only glared at him with her piercing eyes. The specialist merely rose a brow at the white haired woman. He was unsure to what made her so hostile, but remembered that when the two of them fought he did land a couple of hits on her which seemed to infuriate her.

Shrugging off Winter's glare, he leaned back on his pillow. It wasn't until Ozpin spoke again that he paid attention.

"Do you prefer being called Connor or Blackburn?"

Blackburn only shrugged back. It didn't matter to him. In his line of work, last names was what one was addressed by, but he wouldn't object to his first name. What was really eating at him was the way the spectacled man tried to continue the conversation. Why wasn't he getting in contact with the Red Cross so his superiors could come find him? He gave them everything they needed.

"I will just stick with Blackburn for now," said Ozpin. "Now, I do hope you are more talkative. I would like to chat with you for a bit."

"I gave you all the information you needed," Blackburn answered back.

His response made Winter take a step forward and she now stood at the base of his bed. He said nothing and only returned the even stare that the icy woman was giving him.

"We don't have time for your childish game. So start talking," said Winter.

"Look woman, I had a fucked up day. I don't need you getting up in my grill right now. I gave you the information you need to get in contact with my superiors. They can help you get everything sorted out," he replied.

Winter's mouth thinned into a nasty scowl and her hands formed tight fists. She was about to burst, but after getting a sideways glance from Ozpin, she stepped back. For a soldier the young man sure lacked the discipline of one in her eyes. There was no way she was leaving the room until she learned why he was in her operating area and why he disrupted her mission.

"Who are these superiors of yours, Specialist Blackburn?" James spoke up.

"My commanding officer can be reached through the Red Cross. Just call them and give them the information I gave you from my ID card," replied Blackburn.

"Red Cross? I'm not familiar with that organization."

Blackburn blinked in disbelief at the man's response. How could he not have heard about the Red Cross? This was a joke, it had to be. Either that or he was having the most messed up dream of all time. In fact the more he thought about it, it made sense. This was like a cliché setup to a movie where one goes on a wild adventure, but wakes up to find it was nothing but a dream. With that thought in mind, his eyes glanced down to his feet. A pair of ruby slippers could come in handy right about now. Come on, Dorothy!

Meanwhile, Ironwood continued looking between the soldier and the man's ID cards. Wherever this man came from, it was not from Vale. Maybe not even from any of the kingdoms.

He spared a look at Ozpin and saw him taking in the actions of the bedded man before him. While he had the chance, the general cleared his throat and spoke up one again to try and clear the air and get a more definitive answer.

"Specialist Blackburn, where do you think you are now?"

Blackburn only shrugged. How the hell would he know? Last he checked he was halfway around the world in bum F Afghanistan with sand getting packed in every orifice of his body.

"Are you familiar with the world of Remnant?" The general tried again.

"World of what now?" The specialist cocked his head.

"Remnant. The world we are currently on."

Just when things could not have gotten any more confusing, they did. The young man had never even heard of this 'Remnant' as the general called it. Did he mean country? No, that did not make sense. This world he was supposedly on was not Earth where he was just hours ago.

Since he arrived on Remnant he noticed a few things that stood out like a sore thumb that should have served as solid indicators that he was no longer on Earth. From the uniformed masked people he fought in the woods, to the fight with Winter and the crazy abilities she used, and to polish it off, that black wolf-like creature. A shiver went down his spine at the thought of the last one.

Never in his life had he ever seen a creature so menacing. He was used to being a hunter back home whenever he looked for deer, but his encounter in the woods made him the hunted. Whatever that creature was, it was able to locate him in the darkness. Whether it was from smell or something else he did not know. All he knew was that he was in no hurry to see another creature like that again. He could still see the dark, glowing red eyes as though they were staring into his very soul.

"Remnant?" Blackburn shook his head. "No. I've never heard of it. You sure you don't mean Earth?"

"Earth? No. You're on Remnant," Ironwood answered back.

"Okay, stop for a second. That can't be possible!"

His voice was rising and his calm attitude was slowly chipping away.

"What cannot be possible?" Ozpin spoke up.

"This!" Blackburn gestured around him. "I'm not even supposed to be here! I don't even know how I got here!"

"What do you remember before coming around?"

He remembered everything that happened on this messed up day. The convoy, the IED, the ambush, the RPG… His brow furrowed. Did he even consider that possibility? Up until now he did not even think that he may have died. There was a high chance that that was the case. Getting hit by an RPG and surviving a direct hit was next to impossible. But if he died, why was he here? Wasn't there supposed to be some golden gates welcoming him or some descent into a fiery inferno?

 _"So I'm either dead or in a comatose state?"_

"Mister Blackburn?" Ozpin said again.

"Sorry. Just thinking about what you asked."

"Well, what do you remember?"

By this point, Blackburn was sure that he was in fact dead or comatose from the RPG that hit him. So what was the harm in telling these people what happened to him that day? Even if they were lying it would not matter since this was all in his head.

He sighed and reached over to the bedside table where a small glass of water was. After he gulped down the contents he started to relay his story. It took a little longer to explain than he wanted after being interrupted by both Winter and Ironwood to clarify some points throughout the story.

The specialist was sure he was about to have a stroke. He had to give them a small crash course about the United States and the U.S. Army and how they were considered the most powerful military force in the world where he came from. On top of that came the explanation about the wonderful deserts of the Middle East and the lovely terrorist groups that tried to kill him and his friends on a daily basis.

His eyes kept glancing at the clock and the more he dragged on the more tried he became. Was this what it was like briefing a commander? Good lord, if that is what officers did all the time then he was in no hurry to commission as one. He'd rather be shot at then suffer power point presentations for the rest of his career.

"And that's when I woke up and you all came in here." Blackburn rubbed his eyes.

"That is definitely quite the tale." Ozpin nodded. "Now let me ask you this…"

"Oh Jesus."

Ozpin ignored his drawn out sigh and continued speaking.

"If what you just told us is true, what do you believe this is?" He leaned back in his chair.

"Excuse me?" The specialist perked up.

"Your perception of Remnant. You said you come from this planet called Earth and Remnant mimics it."

Blackburn remained silent. There was not much to say. Anyone in his position would be questioning their perception at the moment.

"Honestly, my instinct is telling me this is all in my head and that I'm either dead or comatose from that RPG that hit me," said Blackburn.

"If you are dead, then how are you here?" Ozpin challenged.

"No idea. Maybe it's an out of body experience? Maybe I'm in limbo? All I know is that I'm stuck here until I either die out there or wake up."

Ozpin sipped his coffee again and absorbed what the young soldier told him. He found what he said very fascinating, if not surreal with what he explained.

The concept of dying and then being taken to another world was indeed farfetched, but at the same time it seemed fairly plausible. Everything that the young man told them with the similarities of his world and how different ethnic groups and beliefs mirrored theirs to some degree. Was it possible that there was more than one world out there that was like Remnant and this 'Earth' that the soldier mentioned?

"So, what happens to me now?" Blackburn asked.

Ozpin exchanged looks with Glynda, Ironwood and Winter. Now that this young man was here, far away from home, his family and friends, it presented new problems for him. So long as he was here, he would have to adapt to Remnant and start his life all over again. Even though challenges were something soldiers always faced, something on this scale would no doubt affect his being.

The way he saw it, the specialist had two options. The first was to possibly join the Atlas Military and work with them. He already had experience and more than likely had knowledge that could help James and Winter with their future goals with the military. What better way to start his new life than with something he was comfortable with?

His second option would require him to grow into the role, but he could pick up on it quick. If this man did in fact come from a world that was always fighting some war, he could be a valuable resource to the Huntsmen in training for Beacon. He could help the staff train the students in combat and develop them into stronger teams to face the future threats that were coming down the road. Either way, it brought promise to whichever choice the man made.

"I can offer you two choices," said Ozpin.

"I'm listening." Blackburn leaned back on his pillows.

"You can remain here at Beacon Academy and serve as an assistant instructor. During which time you can learn more about Remnant."

"And the second?"

"I'm sure James here would be willing to let you enlist in the ranks of the Atlas Military. This way you'd be more comfortable with starting your new life here with something you're more than familiar with."

He ignored the somewhat sour look that Winter had when he made that suggestion. It was not her decision and she would have to respect the soldier's decision at the end of the day.

Blackburn mulled over his choices in silence. He was tired and overwhelmed with the day's events and the last thing he wanted to do was make a decision he may come to regret. Both options were promising and he found himself leaning towards the latter, but at the same time, he felt that would be like turning his back on the U.S. Army and he did not want that. He joined to serve the United States. Not another country or world, or wherever the hell he was now.

His option to teach was not one he expected. He never saw himself as the teaching type, but since he planned on remaining in the military as a career he would eventually reach the rank of sergeant and would be in charge of teaching and leading others. It would give him a chance to get his feet wet and the experience needed to succeed.

"No offense to you General Ironwood, but I think I'll pass on the military," said Blackburn.

Ironwood merely waved his hand dismissively. "It's no trouble. I understand that you'd rather serve your own country."

The specialist only nodded, thankful that the general was not offended with his decision. He had seen his fair share of officers lose their cool when someone did not agree with them and did not want to be in that position.

"Then it's settled." Ozpin stood up. "It was a pleasure to talk with you, Mister Blackburn."

"So, what can I expect with this job?" Blackburn asked after him.

"I'll send for you tomorrow after you've eaten. Glynda will be your sponsor for the day and will get you sorted."

"Right…"

Ozpin closed the door behind him after giving him a nod in farewell. The light shut off and darkness filled the room. The moonlight shone through the window off to the side and Blackburn slumped back in the bed in exhaustion.

This was without a doubt the longest day of his life. All those days of BCT and his days during his tours had nothing on this day. So much had happened and it had all but turned his whole life upside down. All that he could do now was try and adjust to living in Remnant much like he adjusted to his military training. Hopefully it would come to him sooner than later.

With a sigh he turned over in his bed and his brown eyes gazed out the window. Seeing the moonlight shimmering through helped him relax just a bit. Whenever he was not on one of the FOBs and out in the field, he would always stare up at the sky. It was one of the few beautiful things that he could take in in an otherwise barren country. One could easily get lost looking at the millions of stars that decorated the vast night sky and seemed to stretch for eternity. When the moon was out as well? It was the most awesome display of light one could ask for.

His eyelids began to droop and just before they closed, he sent one last look out his window to see the moon. It may have been his imagination, but the moon that overlooked Remnant was way different. It was a jaw dropping sight.

 _"A shattered moon?"_

* * *

True to his word, Ozpin had sent Glynda to escort him from the infirmary and show him around Beacon Academy. Blackburn did everything he could to ignore his bruised sternum as he listened to Glynda's words about the academy and what students learned while there.

He heard the term mentioned the night before, but Huntsmen were what the students were training to be. In Glynda's words, they were to be protectors of the world and keep the creatures of Grimm at bay so that they can maintain the peace and prosperity throughout the kingdoms. However she also hinted that there were other threats outside of the dreaded Grimm that the Huntsmen were to deal with, and those were the people who threatened the peace. In a way, it was similar to his job as a soldier. Fight for those that were too weak to do the fighting or did not want to do it and keep the country safe from anything that threatened their way of life.

It was admirable to see such young kids taking up arms to protect the freedom of others. These teenagers knew that preserving peace could only be done by a few and chose to follow the path to keep it. The only difference that Blackburn could make out was that the Huntsmen were held in high regard, unlike his countrymen back home. Back in the states people did support the troops, but there were a lot that didn't. Be it because of political reasons or because of the fact that they could get away with saying it due to constitutional rights or hiding behind anonymity online, many viewed the military in a negative light. If they were to learn about kids becoming Huntsmen? They would have a field day.

At the same time, Blackburn found it a little chilling. In his past experiences, any kid that was holding a gun or weapon normally came in the form of a child soldier that tried to kill him or his brothers down range. One would only see that in the most godforsaken parts of the world and it was never a pretty sight.

"Now, before you begin helping teach classes, we need to get you some suitable clothes," said Glynda.

"Where would you suggest to go?" Blackburn asked.

"We'll go into Vale. A friend of mine runs a small store that has more than enough clothes to choose from."

"Well, that's cool and all, but I don't have any money. So how am I going to pay for that?"

Glynda only spared him a quick look and pushed her glasses up, a small smirk on her face.

"You can pay me back when you get your first paycheck," she replied.

The specialist made a mental note to buy the cheapest clothes he could. He was never one for dressing fancy unless the situation called for it. His wardrobe back home consisted of simple t-shirts and jeans. Now that he would be acting as an assistant instructor he needed to look semi-decent. Nothing a couple of polos, khakis and brown shoes couldn't fix. If those defense contractors could walk around in that all day, he could too.

A small buzz came from his side and he saw Glynda pull out a small device no bigger than her thumb. She pinched the edges and pulled to reveal a holographic screen and a second later, Ozpin's face popped up on the device.

 _"The hell is that?"_ Blackburn furrowed his brow.

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard Ozpin's voice speak up.

"I trust the two of you are making good use of your time?"

"Of course," Glynda said back. "We're heading into Vale to get him some clothes. He needs to look the part of an instructor."

"Wonderful. I'm sure you'll point him in the right direction."

Glynda clicked her tongue and sat down in the closest open seat after entering the airship with Blackburn close behind. Once the specialist sat down he returned his gaze to the cellphone-like device.

"I'll leave you to it then. By the way, Mister Blackburn, you'll be happy to know that once you and Glynda return, your living quarters will have been set up," said Ozpin.

Blackburn could now see why lots of people wanted to be teachers. It came with a lot of perks and the pay and tenure was ridiculous. He got his own office and housing with the school? What next, endless supplies of coffee and energy drinks?

"Uh, thanks." He leaned back in his seat, not really sure what to say.

"You're welcome. I have also taken the liberty of putting your personal supplies in your room along with some books to guide you in learning about Remnant," Ozpin continued.

"Again, thank you."

"Although you are an assistant, you don't have to go overboard with your wardrobe. Just something that looks professional."

With that, Ozpin hung up and Glynda pocketed the tiny device once more. Blackburn just caught a glimpse of Glynda's pursed lips. He was sure it had to do with the fact that Ozpin was giving him freedom with his clothing selection.

"You're not off the hook that easily." Glynda's eyes darted to him. "Since you're my assistant, I'll be checking off on your clothes. You can get some for downtime, but other than that I get a say in it."

And just like that, Blackburn frowned. The way the spectacled blonde scolded him reminded him a lot of his mother. He crossed his arms with a sigh and rested his head against the headrest of the seat. At least this day was shaping up to be better than yesterday.

* * *

 **We'll end it here and we'll have to see what's in store for Blackburn next. Thanks for reading. And if you'd be kind enough to review and tell me what you thought, that'd be awesome. See you next time.-CaptainPrice**


	5. High Speed Specialist

**I would like to thank all of you for the continued feedback and support. For that, I made a long chapter for your enjoyment.** **Hope you enjoy it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The little red reaper walked to class with pep in her step. If there was one thing that Ruby Rose loved, it was to fight and show off the power Crescent Rose could dish out to those who doubted its capabilities. A wide grin spread across her face. Nothing but ninety minutes of fights that allowed her to see where she stood amongst her peers and who would be her next challenge to beat and rise up in the ranks. Her hand gently patted Crescent Rose as it rested against her lower back.

"You seem very happy," the blonde brawler noted.

"Of course I'm happy, Yang! I get to let my baby do the talking today!" She shifted her cape to reveal Crescent Rose again.

"I think you need to take up some more hobbies."

"Oh, you take that back! Nothing's cooler than weapons!"

While the two sisters argued, their two teammates only rolled their eyes. Just another day for Team RWBY.

"For once, I agree with Yang," Weiss spoke up. "You can't always be around your weapon, you know."

The blonde ignored the Ice Queen's remark while Ruby became indignant with her partner's words.

"Weiss, how could you? You're supposed to be my partner and back me up!" Ruby puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.

"True, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything you do." The heiress shrugged back.

Ruby turned around and mumbled under her breath. Although the white haired girl could not make out what her partner was saying, she could wager a guess.

They rounded the corner and entered the large combat arena. Ruby's sour look quickly faded as soon as it had come and she zoomed over to the open set of bleachers near the front overlooking the arena. Her teammates joined her a second later. Weiss to her left with Yang and Blake to her right.

The young leader was ready to fight. She had to endure one long week of boredom before it was her turn again and now it was her time to shine once more. Although there were others that shared her enthusiasm in combat, she had another reason she held it so high above anything else. Ever since her early admittance into Beacon, she felt the need to prove herself and show her older classmates that she belonged there just as much as they did. She did not want to be thought of as special for her early acceptance and the best way she could do that was to prove her skill in the area she excelled at, and that was fighting and taking Grimm down.

Ruby was broken from her thoughts when her team's sister team sat in the row behind her. She turned to greet Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren with a wave.

"Are you ready to go today?" She beamed at them.

"Of course we are!" Nora grinned back. "Me and Jaune are up today, and I plan on breaking some legs!"

"Nora, don't break anyone's legs. Glynda won't be too happy if you do that," said Ren looking to her.

His quirky partner merely huffed and turned away, muttering something along the lines of "Party pooper." The blonde leader of Team JNPR only nodded at Ruby. He had improved a lot since training with Pyrrha and even racked up a few wins, but he needed more to be eligible for the Vytal Festival in a few months. All he needed was four more wins and depending on who he fought today, he would only need three afterword.

As the class began to fill up, Ruby saw Coco, Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi enter and search for a place to sit. She quickly flagged them down and they marched over to the last open seats and plopped down.

"How did your mission go?" Ruby looked to Velvet and Coco.

"Very well." Velvet smiled back. "It was nice to get a day off yesterday."

"Lucky. It sounds like you had your hands full." Yang joined in a second later.

Velvet's long ears only bobbed when she nodded back.

"So what was the mission?" Yang began to dig for answers.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Coco smirked back at her, pushing up her sunglasses.

"Duh! That's why I'm asking!"

Coco kept brushing off Yang's futile attempts to learn more about their mission. As tempted as she was to brag about her team's completion of such a high ranked mission, she refrained from doing so. Their latest mission gave them the opportunity to work with Atlas' Special Operations Division on future assignments and until told otherwise, they were forbidden from divulging any information. The only proof the fashionista and her teammates could show their friends was the mission ranking to back it up.

"Read it and weep, Yang." Coco held up her scroll.

The blonde brawler snatched the scroll and her face scrunched up to look at the tiny rank on the screen. When she was able to make it out her eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in envy. Was that what came with being a second year student? The more experienced a team was, they would be able to select higher missions? Even though her team was strong, the highest mission they got was considered C-ranked and even then they had the help of Professor Oobleck.

When it came to Coco's team, they were regarded as the strongest second years and were capable of holding their own against more senior teams. So when her lilac eyes fell on the red A-ranked mark she was envious, but more than determined to catch up with the second year. She passed the scroll around her team and one by one, each of them looked at the green banner above the mission rank to symbolize completion.

"Give me the details!" Yang leaned forward.

"No can do." Coco took her scroll back.

"Why not?"

"Because it's classified."

Yang only rolled her eyes and lounged back in her seat. She was used to doing the teasing, not being on the receiving end of it! The blonde was unable to retort to Coco's words. Once the bell rang, Glynda stepped out into the arena adjusting her glasses.

Blake perked up just a bit and leaned forward to gaze into the dark tunnel behind Glynda. She could see another figure inside of it and narrowed her eyes. This did not go unnoticed by her teammates who turned to look at her.

"Blake, is something wrong?" Weiss followed her gaze.

"No. I'm just trying to see who is in the tunnel." She pointed at it.

From the corner of her eye, Blake could see her teammates following her gaze and squinting to see. Being a Faunus allowed her to see through darkness which tipped her off in the first place. The figure she saw was tall and had a lean frame, someone that fit the physique of a soldier or a Huntsman. Now the only question that was going through the feline's mind was who the man was and what he was doing there.

She leaned back in her seat and her eyes trailed back to Glynda who was about ready to address the class with the day's agenda. Something that she barely paid attention to lately since it was the same thing every time. The spectacled professor would give her learning objective, list the fighters that were scheduled, act as proctor for the matches, and give critique to the winner and loser of the fight for future development. She pulled out her disguised 'Ninjas of Love' book and began to immerse herself in the latest steamy adventure of Takahashi and Rei, all the while keeping an open ear to Glynda's words.

* * *

Down in the arena, Glynda's sharp eyes scanned each of her students and located each of the ones that were scheduled to duel. For the most part she was impressed with the improvement she had seen with the students that had been struggling, namely Jaune Arc who had done a complete turnaround and was now a few victories shy of qualifying for the Vytal Tournament. She adjusted her glasses and spared a quick look at her clipboard for the battle order and then made a quick glance to the tunnel where Blackburn was waiting.

"Good morning," she said to her students.

"Good morning, Professor Goodwitch," the students chorused back.

"Before we get into our battles today, I would like to take a moment and introduce you all to a new addition of our staff here at Beacon."

She looked over her shoulder and nodded at the tunnel. The young specialist made his way out into the arena looking composed, but that should have been expected of a soldier. Despite her best efforts to find suitable clothes for the young man, he was adamant about anything with suits and in the end they settled on a business casual style which seemed to suit him well.

Once Blackburn stopped beside her and placed his hands behind him at the small of his back, she looked back at her students. Looks of curiosity were present on their faces, but they would clear up soon enough when she allowed her new assistant time to introduce himself. The day before class started, she had advised Blackburn to do some research on the concepts she scribbled down for him ranging from Aura, Semblance, to history of Remnant as well as the relationship between humans and Faunus. When he reported to her office that morning he looked close to exhausted, having stayed up all night trying to retain as much as he could.

"Like we discussed, just a quick introduction of yourself and what you think is necessary for them to know," she whispered to him.

"Got it." He grunted back.

Blackburn had silently been rehearsing his introduction as he waited in the tunnel. He did not want to drawl on and decided to go with the easy two minute strategy the contractors used when they got ready to teach a new class.

"I'm Connor Blackburn, Mister Blackburn for all of you, and starting today I'll be assisting Miss Goodwitch here with combat class," he began.

So far so good.

"Just to give you some info about me, I'm twenty years old and although I'm young, I've probably had more experience than any of you in combat. I will treat you with respect and I expect you to do the same with me and Miss Goodwitch here. I will not hesitate to take corrective action if I feel you are messing up."

He then thought about his personal life and felt the need to back up his statement about combat. A quick look around the arena gave him the impression that some of the students did not take what he said seriously and he wanted to send that message home.

"I joined the Army when I was seventeen and joined the 1st Cavalry Division after completing OSUT. I technically served two tours overseas, but before I completed the second one I got injured and sent home early. In my free time I like to work on cars and race them, watch sports, hunt and fish."

Although he lied about the latter part of his second tour, he was one week away from completing the deployment with his unit before being dragged to Remnant. Time to wrap it up. He had spent a lot of time reading and cramming a lot of information the night before, but he only had two more things he wanted to point out to the students before they began the lesson.

"One thing I want to make known is that I have a zero tolerance policy for racism. I don't care if you're human, Faunus or of different ethnicity. That has no place in a brotherhood like this. If I catch any form of discrimination, corrective action will be taken and it won't be pretty. Do you all understand?"

A small group of the students spoke up acknowledging his words, but others, whether they were just not feeling obligated to speak or did not agree with his policy stayed silent. He did not like that and raised his voice, a little sharper to match what his drill sergeants did back when he was in basic to get results.

"Sound off!"

This time he got a more vocal response. A handful of students jumped at the quick snap and he heard a louder chorus as the majority of the class answered. He gave a curt nod and ignored the small look from Glynda who did not look pleased with his tone, but he was willing to deal with her later. She gave him the chance to speak about his beliefs and he would not hold back any punches with his words.

"Finally, I understand that this combat class has been focused on head to head matches. While that is good, believe me when I say that I plan to introduce you all to more different concepts that will shape you as teams and as individuals."

With that, Blackburn nodded at Glynda and stepped back. He snuck a quick glance at his watch and grimaced. He had gone over the two minute mark by a few seconds, but he was sure that his extra words painted a picture for the class. Now it was time to see just how this Aura and Semblance worked with these kids. Reading about it only raised more questions than answers. The way both Aura and Semblance worked hand in hand he could grasp, but he did not understand how they came to be.

His fight against Winter was one that threw him for a loop when he first arrived in Remnant. Never in his life did he see anyone move as fast as her in close quarter battle. The first time he ever saw that he was still woozy from everything that went down earlier that day since it should have been impossible. What he had witnessed was something straight out of anime, but today he would be able to confirm whether or not that was just a one-time thing.

"I expect you all to treat Mister Blackburn with the same respect you give me. Now, I believe it's time we start our scheduled battles," said Glynda.

A large holographic screen kicked to life overhead and student names and portraits scrolled between the two open slots. They slowed down and finally came to a rest on two individuals, one boy and one girl. Ruby Rose against Russel Thrush.

"Alright!" Ruby cheered.

The little red reaper hurried down into the arena and pulled Crescent Rose out. She squirmed in place as she waited for Russel to take his position in the ring. While she was waiting, her silver eyes snuck a glance at the new instructor. The short introduction he gave had a somewhat interesting first impression. He seemed strict like Weiss to an extent, but at the same time he seemed like an everyday kid. Young with hobbies and if what he said was true, he had experience with fighting. She wanted to make a first impression of her own and the best way to do it was to show her skill firsthand.

Once Russel had taken his spot in front of Ruby, Glynda looked between the two of them to see if they were ready. She got curt nods from the two and began the match.

* * *

Ruby wasted no time in going on the attack. With her speed she quickly closed the distance between herself and Russel, catching the boy off by surprise. Sparks flew as daggers met scythe and metal screeched loudly as it ground together. She pushed Russel off and jumped back, plunging the blade of her scything into the ground and resting her cheek against the side.

A thunderous bang echoed around the arena and the recoil shot up her arms and made her shake with excitement. It never got old to fire the high caliber round from her baby when she had the chance. A simple pull of the trigger and a small buck that graced her cheek as her gun-scythe kicked and let loose.

The bullet whooshed loudly through the air and the color drained from Russel's face. It narrowly missed him and he only raised his daggers in anticipation for another shot. No sooner had he done that, Ruby began to fire one round after the next. Each round almost knocking him clear off his feet with each deflection he had. His hands throbbed painfully and he grit his teeth as he tried to prepare his counterattack.

When the bullets stopped flying, Russel ducked low and charged at Ruby. He forced his way under the gun-scythe and knocked it up. A small smirk spread across his face as he lunged forward and collided hard with the smaller girl and when she stumbled back, he ran at her and spun on his heel with his leg high. His first kick was blocked by Ruby's scythe and he missed again when she ducked under the next.

The red reaper was too small and agile to be bested by Russel's attacks and only smirked when she shot back with her Semblance. A red blue was all that circled the arena and soon it was followed by one high-powered shot after the next from Crescent Rose. Each bullet pelted Russel and sent the dagger wielding boy staggering around the arena.

 _"Time to end it!"_ Ruby ceased fire.

She rocketed forward again with her Semblance and raised her scythe. Just when she was about to bring it down on Russel, the boy leaned back and avoided her. She came to a grinding halt a second later and turned on her heel to engage him again, but was soon caught in a deadlock. Her silver eyes could see Russel's fierce gaze as he stared down at her.

It took a moment for the event to register with her, but she was soon hunched over and a throbbing pain was in her stomach. The knee strike was more than enough to knock the wind out of her lungs and make her drop her guard. She fought through the pain and raised her scythe to block Russel's follow-up strike and while she succeeded, she was soon surprised yet again.

The boy was fast with his movements and effective. He had immobilized her from using Crescent Rose and kept her close with a firm grip to continue hitting her, chipping her Aura away with each blow. If there was one thing Ruby struggled at in the art of combat, it was hand to hand. She had the mind to know how to fight back, but her physique was one that relied on speed and going against Russel who was all brawn made it difficult.

Her palms were graced with cool air as Crescent Rose was pried from her grip and it landed a few feet away with a loud clang. A grimace came to her face, but soon vanished when her eyes almost bugged out from the vicious hack Russel sent at her. The hair atop her head and neck stood on end when the brush of cold air met her.

Thinking fast, Ruby brought her fists up to her face to block any attacks Russel would throw at her. She got her wish and narrowly dodged a stab. Once she was clear, she balled her fist tight and sent the strongest uppercut she could. Her knuckles smashed under Russel's jaw and throbbed painfully. The boy staggered back and she took the chance to shake her hand free from the throbbing sensation that flooded her hand. She then dove for Crescent Rose and grabbed it, rolling to a standing position a second later. With a pull of the charging handle she locked the next round and fired.

The shot crashed into Russel's blades when he crossed them in front of his face to protect himself, but the force behind it only made them bounce back and into his nose. He staggered back once again and Ruby saw her chance.

The young reaper spun Crescent Rose behind her and depressed the trigger and propelled herself at Russel once again. This time when her feet graced the ground she vanished in a series of rose petals before Russel could slash at her with his daggers. The girl's speed was so fast that the only way one could locate her was the storm of rose petals that littered the floor as she moved. With each step she took, she slowly chipped away at Russel's Aura with a slash.

The lightning fast movements were too much for the mohawked boy and he began to grow antsy with each passing second. The odds were not in his favor and he would lose the battle in a couple of hits. His head snapped to the left and he saw Ruby charging for him and he tightened his grip on his daggers. He spun on his heel and slashed up with a cry. A smirk came to his face when his daggers managed to rend up the young reaper, but his eyes widened quickly when her body became nothing but rose petals. He missed.

"Where'd she…" he looked around.

"Russel, above you!" His partner Cardin alerted him.

A small shadow loomed over his and he shifted his gaze to look towards the ceiling. He squinted to block out the light, but he was able to see Ruby clear as day. Her weapon had folded up to its gun form and she had it aiming right for him. A small shot charged in the barrel and a loud bang resounded a second later. The next thing he knew, Russel saw ceiling and ground as he flipped through the air. He landed a second later with a groan.

A loud buzz sounded and Ruby landed a second later, looking giddier than ever.

"Way to go, Ruby!" Her blonde sister called out.

The reaper collapsed her weapon and secured it to her back and patiently waited for Glynda's critique. Her silver eyes trailed to Blackburn and could not help but feel pride sweep through her. The thunderstruck look on his face only gave her the confidence that she did indeed set a great first impression with the new instructor. She may have been a kid, but she was more than able to pull her weight with the upperclassmen.

"Well done, Miss Rose." Glynda stepped forward. "You remained in control for the majority of the fight and you were able to adapt quickly when you were disarmed. My suggestion for you is to become more familiar with proper hand to hand techniques. You could have broken your thumb by tucking it into your fist when you hit Mister Thrush."

Ruby nodded and subconsciously shook her hand again. Her thumb was indeed throbbing and swelling up, but it was not broken. If anyone could help her with her hand to hand techniques it would be Yang. She made a mental note to pull her older sister aside when they had the time to train.

"Mister Thrush, while your approach was admirable, you have to be willing to get in close. You were out of range and open to Miss Rose's weapon which also has a ranged function. When you were in her guard you had control. Think about your opponent and come up with a better strategy."

"Yes Ma'am." Russel nodded back.

Glynda turned to look back at Blackburn expectantly. This was part of his training as an instructor and he would have to get used to adding in advice when asked. However, the young man looked unsure of what to say and with good reason. He was still in the process of learning about Remnant and it would take time. His wide eyes returned to their usual size and he folded his arms.

"Do you have any input, Mister Blackburn?" Glynda asked.

Blackburn only shook his head.

"Not really. You said exactly what I was thinking. I guess if I was to take something from this battle, it would be that I can now narrow down what I want to add to the curriculum for the class. With your permission, of course."

The blonde witch only smirked. A clever trick to dodge the question, but she would not let him get away with it for long. She let it slide and only nodded before dismissing Ruby and Russel and returning her gaze to her scroll.

Meanwhile, Blackburn was still trying to process what he had seen. He thought back to his battle with Winter when he first arrived on Remnant and could not believe it. At first when he fought the woman he was sure he was woozy from the day's events and seeing things. The way she moved and fought was unlike anything he had seen and it should have been impossible. He dismissed the thought of it, but now having seen the fight against the two teens before him, he could now confirm that he was not crazy.

These Huntsmen were not ordinary humans. The power they possessed was similar to that of super heroes he would read about when he was a kid. This Aura and this Semblance was the source of their power and was the key to how they survived. A bunch of superhuman beings that were capable of unleashing power that had to be seen to be believed. This would serve as a great story for his friends if and when he ever saw them again.

 _"That was some DBZ shit right there…"_ he ran a hand through his short hair. _"Well, minus the planetary devastation, but still."_

His brow furrowed for a second as he replayed Ruby and Russel's fight in his head. Glynda's words resonated in him. If these kids were trained to be the future protectors of the world and they were capable of such feats like he just witnessed, was it possible they were like the Special Forces of this world? If so, he was impressed and at the same time, a little envious. How could he possibly hope to help them develop if they could pull off such achievements with their natural power while he had none himself?

The specialist shook his head free when two new students entered the arena. One blonde and one brunette. The two boys looked each other in the eye and he was able to see the fierceness between them.

"Mister Blackbun, would you like to initiate the fight?" Glynda glanced back at him.

"Sure," he answered back.

Blackburn strode to the two boys and stopped beside them. He looked between them and could see their weapons were drawn and ready to go. His eyes then snuck a glance at the screen above the arena so he could see their names, having not paid attention when Glynda called them up earlier. Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester.

"You Backstreet Boy rejects ready to go?" He looked between them.

"What?" Cardin's face scrunched up.

"Are you ready to fight?"

His sense of humor had been a complete miss with the students so far, but hopefully that would change the longer he was there. It was one thing he was often praised for back in his unit and he wanted to appear approachable to the students so he could help them. Jaune and Cardin nodded at him and he stepped back.

"Begin!"

Much like Ruby's fight, Blackburn watched as closely as possible. The concepts of Aura and Semblances tussled in his head as he tried to break them down and understand them through the fights.

Each student had their own Aura and Semblance, and each of them had their own combat style to use those abilities to their fullest. The fight between Jaune and Cardin was not like Ruby and Russel's where speed was used. Instead, their fight was slower and more patient, at least on Jaune's end. From what the specialist gathered on the blonde's style, he could see his was more patient and tactical, doing everything he could to wait for the opportunity to land a hit and observe his enemy's movements to come up with a plan to triumph in the end.

Cardin's style was more aggressive. He would close the distance to engage Jaune and use brute strength to try and overpower him. Although he managed to knock the blonde around a few times, it was apparent that he was running out of energy and Jaune seemed to pick up on it as well.

The blonde knight raised his shield and blocked Cardin's strike and pushed up fast. His bump made Cardin lose his balance and he stumbled back. He pushed off the ground and charged at the mace wielding boy with a slash that went across his breastplate. His assault continued and he did not let up on his strikes. Each slash that Jaune gave was controlled and carried determination. The boy who looked unsure at the start of the fight was now poised for victory and he had the makings of a leader that would be followed by those who trusted him.

Jaune blocked another jab from Cardin's mace and thrust forward once again. This time Cardin was able to recover quick and brought down the mace in a brutal slam, the blonde's reflexes kicked in and he rolled to the side to escape the attack. His attack continued when he controlled the roll and maneuvered around to Cardin's back. Once he was behind the brown haired boy, he sprung up with a vicious cut and sent him to the floor. A few quick breaths escaped the blonde, his face red with exhaustion.

Upon the sound of the buzzer, Blackburn stepped forward after a nudge from Glynda.

"Nice job. You both can use your combat styles effectively and that's good," he began. "Mister Arc, your patience and tactics worked well in this battle and helped you overcome a stronger opponent. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. What I want to see from you is more confidence."

The blonde knight only nodded and tucked Crocea Mors away and strapped it back to his side. Cardin had gotten to his feet and the disgruntled look on his face did not leave as he turned to look at him.

"Mister Winchester, I condone your aggressive style. You want to meet an enemy with that attitude, but you also need to learn when to rein it in during a battle. You used a lot of energy trying to overpower Jaune while he was being patient. Try to find another plan of attack if you are struggling to gain the advantage."

"Yes, Sir." He nodded back.

The two of them departed the arena and returned to the grandstand above for the next battle to commence.

One battle after the next came and went. With each one, Blackburn took notes on what he had seen, all the while still trying to understand Aura and Semblance. He made note of each of the students in the class, their battle style, their Aura levels and their Semblances. To his disappointment he made little headway into his goal of understanding the crucial concepts of the class. All he knew was that out of the students that battled, Ruby's Semblance was super speed and that Jaune had the largest Aura level. Other than that, he hit a dead end and frustrated him.

The bell sounded and the students rose from their seats. All of them filed to the door only half paying attention to Glynda's words for the upcoming session. Once they had all departed the room, Glynda walked over to Blackburn and noticed his clenched jaw.

"What is troubling you?" She asked.

"I realized that this is going to take a while for me to understand." Blackburn sighed.

"What is?"

"This Aura and Semblance stuff. That reading you told me to do only made me think of more questions than answers."

The spectacled woman nodded and pushed her glasses up. It was understandable that he would be annoyed about it. This was not something that could be learned overnight and it would take time for him to grasp the concepts. Despite his frustration, Glynda felt her new assistant did fairly well with handling the class and the students for his first day.

"Let's head to my office. We can talk more there." She made her way to the tunnel.

* * *

Glynda's office was neat and clean. Bookshelves surrounded the room and were filled with endless knowledge that scholars would immerse themselves in. The faint smell of perfume lingered in the air. Just enough to provide a pleasant aroma for those that were inside to enjoy. Her desk had a stack over papers assembled in a neat pile. Next to that stack, a small cup of steaming tea.

It was nice to see such an organized living space for a change. Blackburn had almost forgotten what one looked like having been down range for almost a year. Back at home he was a big neat freak, but when he was with his squad that was quickly swapped for a messier person. Their supplies back on the FOB was always dress right dress, but there were days when their gear would be strewn about the tent or on their cots and make them look like a bag of smashed assholes, which would only serve to bring the wrath of First Sergeant Skinner.

Just thinking about the crusty, old sergeant made a small smile spread across Blackburn's face. Most of the time the man was yelling at soldiers in the company for the smallest things and looked like he was about to have a stroke. His sharp blue eyes looked like they could set one ablaze the second he laid into them. However, it was all a front. It helped take the soldiers' minds off of the negativity around them by serving as a lightning rod of hate. It was always a funny treat if you were not in his crosshairs, but god help you if you were.

Glynda sat down and grabbed her teacup and brought it to her lips.

"So, how does combat here compare to that on Earth?" She asked.

"It blows what I'm familiar with out of the water," Blackburn replied.

"Do tell."

"Where do you want me to begin? The superhuman powers or the weapon capabilities and technology?"

Glynda's eyes narrowed just a bit and Blackburn sighed. He would have to be around the blonde woman longer to know what would be acceptable in terms of humor and sarcasm. He apologized and the woman's glare fell and became one of curiosity. To his surprise, a cup of tea rested gently on the desk before him courtesy of Glynda's telekinesis. He accepted the small treat and took a sip. The scalding beverage traversed his throat and brought a soothing warmth that flooded his body.

"Let's take it slow for now. We'll start with Aura and Semblance and go from there. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them." Glynda placed a book on the table.

She opened the large hardcover book and thumbed through the first few pages and came to the very first chapter.

For the first time in almost three years, Blackburn felt like he was back in school. Glynda, bless her heart, was very patient and guided him through both Aura and Semblance, answering whatever questions he had along the way. His saving grace was that he was able to learn quickly and despite the info dump he received from the blonde woman, he was starting to understand it just a bit more. He cast a look back down to the notebook Glynda gave him as they discussed the basic concepts of Huntsmen and rubbed his eyes.

They were taking a break, and while Glynda sifted through the mountain of papers on her desk, he quietly reread his notes and sipped on his refill of tea. The paper let out a low snap as he flipped back to the first page of his notes and he read again.

Aura. The manifestation of one's soul. It was capable of being used for a wide range of abilities. Each Aura's specific abilities and strengths differed for each individual and dependent on other dimensions such as training and experience. Some of the basic uses of Aura came in the form of offensive, defensive, and healing powers which helped their users survive in battle and take otherwise lethal blows and come out without a scratch. At least until it was shattered or depleted completely, then the user would become normal like himself and vulnerable to anything. The textbook definition stood clear as day in his notes, but after reading it again, he began to question the accuracy of it. If every living being in Remnant had a soul, they should have Aura. The Huntsmen around him all had souls just like him and an Aura, yet he had none. Was it because he was from a different world, or was it just an anomaly? Those without souls did not have Aura and the only thing that fell in line with that was Grimm.

If he had Aura it would prove to be useful to help relate to those around him and give him a newfound perspective of Remnant, but since that was not happening anytime soon he would have to deal with it.

His eyes trailed down to the next noted bit about a Semblance. Like he remembered from his reading, the Semblance was a sort of special ability that varied for each individual, much like Aura. In a way, the Semblance was a super power that was specific to that one person and allowed them to manipulate certain physical phenomena according to that individual's nature. However, everything has limits. Semblances were fueled by one's Aura and depending on one's Aura levels and strength, they only had so much they could use. Using a Semblance for a prolonged period of time could put one in danger by draining the user of energy and leave them vulnerable to a threat.

Like Glynda mentioned to him earlier, both Aura and Semblances went hand in hand. And with that power came potential for those who wanted to use it and grow. He sipped his tea and his eyes went over to the second page. The next passage he made revolved around Dust.

He had to endure almost an hour of writing the accursed text below him when the blonde witch explained it. The first thought that entered his mind about Dust was that it was similar to the natural resources back on Earth. The people of Remnant relied on Dust and even the oldest legends from the lore of Remnant revolved around it. The oldest legend being that man was born from Dust and that was more than enough to make him stop reading to process that wild thought again.

"Jesus Christ," he murmured into his hand as he nursed his forehead.

"Are you okay, Mister Blackburn?" Glynda looked up from her papers.

"Yeah. This is just a lot to take in."

The blonde woman nodded and returned to the paper in front of her. Her pen marking each correction that had to be made by the unfortunate student who would have to shape up for the next assignment. She finished marking the paper and her eyes wandered to the clock on her scroll. She blinked and leaned back in her chair.

"It's getting late. Perhaps you should take a break for now and prepare yourself for the next lesson on Wednesday," said Glynda.

She smiled lightly when Blackburn snapped the notebook shut and lounged back in his seat, his face relaxing from its scrunched state. The young man rubbed his tired eyes and let a sigh escape him, no doubt happy to rest his aching head after his cram session.

"Do you recall what you said earlier today about introducing the students to new battle concepts?" The witch asked.

Blackburn rose and brow and looked to the ceiling as if to locate the memory in his mind.

"That was today, right?" He smirked back.

"Yes, it was."

"I kinda remember. What about it?"

"I'm a little interested in this training and you did say you'd share it with me for a chance to add it to the curriculum."

The specialist grunted back and turned his head to meet her spectacled eyes. He said nothing at first, but then sat upright and leaned forward in his seat.

"I've got a couple of suggestions that we can try if you wish," he said.

"Okay. I'm listening." Glynda put her pen to paper.

From Blackburn's view, he knew that these kids were unbelievably strong and in great shape to pull off what they did during their fights. All of them had their own combat styles, Aura and Semblance that made them unique with how they fought and triumphed or failed and learned. What stuck out like a sore thumb was that the students only did one on one battles, yet they were formed in teams of four when it came to living together and doing missions, no different from the common fire team.

If they were supposed to work as teams, why not implement training to strengthen the team as a whole rather than on an individual level? A team was only as strong as its weakest member and during a life or death situation it could end horribly. Unless all members of a team were in sync with one another and could stand toe to toe and function properly, it was almost foolish to send them out to face unknown dangers. Sure it allowed them the chance to develop and learn on their own under supervision from an instructor, but it was still an unnecessary risk.

Although Blackburn's ideas revolved around a military mindset and training regime, he was sure that the blonde woman would allow his idea to pass unless she felt it was not feasible. With his vision set and his confidence back, he shared his thoughts with the older woman.

When he went through OSUT and did his field training he learned a lot of tactics and procedures to overcome obstacles on a mission as though one were down range. STX or situation training exercises were used to develop leaders into leading their teams through an assigned mission that they had to complete using what they learned, and up to the proctor's discretion, they could change it or throw others around in the leadership position to see how they react and function from there. It was a team building exercise to build trust in one another as battle buddies and comrades to be there for them when it was needed. LRC or leaders' reaction course was another team building exercise to help with that.

His second idea was to have the student teams go against one another in a more suitable training area outside to use the terrain around them and learn how to fight against opponents who were capable of thinking like them. To go along with that, he suggested switching teams up just for class to make them get used to working with others who they were not familiar with to build the camaraderie and trust.

Blackburn's last suggestion was to teach kids hand to hand combat. While he himself was not certified in combatives like Sergeant Carlson was, he spent a lot of time with his squad leader and learned the requirements for level one and two and remembered them vividly. His reasoning behind it was that students would lose their weapon at some point and would have to resort to hand to hand at some point to stay alive against an enemy.

He leaned back in his seat and watched Glynda finish scribbling on the paper in front of her. The woman's brow was furrowed in deep thought as she mulled over everything he said. While he was not sure how willing she would be to try what he suggested, he hoped she would at least consider doing it. If those students were introduced to those concepts, he was sure they would shine and be the near perfect protectors they wanted.

"While I do find some of these ideas a little unusual, I will bring them up with Ozpin tomorrow. Depending on what he says, I may or may not go through with this," said Glynda.

"I'm not arguing. All I'm doing is suggesting." Blackburn stood up with a long stretch.

"Well, you made a strong case for it, so you may get your wish."

Blackburn nodded and picked up his notebook from the desk and made his way to the door. He opened it and was about to step into the hall, but stopped when the blonde called out for him.

"You did well for your first day, Mister Blackburn. If you have questions, you can call me with your scroll or talk with the other professors."

"Got it." He turned a thumb up. "Oh, actually, there was one more thing…"

"Yes?"

"You guys don't happen to have a gym in the school here, do you?"

* * *

Team CFVY sat in their dorm after their long day of classes. Being second year students could be a pain in the butt, especially in regards to homework. Longer assignments and more homework than the first year. Not only that, but it seemed as though the teachers were more strict in terms of grading. Be it small mistakes, incorrect content or not enough detail put in the homework resulted in harsher docking of points.

Coco popped the gum that was in her mouth and let the book she was holding fall to her lap. She reached her limit for the night and was in no hurry to finish up the last of her assignment. Her brown eyes drifted to each of her teammates who were faring no better.

Velvet's long ears drooped over her face and her tired eyes went left to right as she read the chapter that Professor Port assigned them. Her fingers lightly tapped her pencil against the desk to keep herself somewhat entertained through the excruciating passages.

Yatsuhashi was scribbling down answers on the paper, his eyes set in a look of fierce determination to finish the work. It was seriously cutting into his meditation and he liked to do at least an hour of it before he went to sleep. His father made it known that it was important to start every day with a clear mind to be ready to tackle every challenge that obstructed his path.

And Fox… well, he was done for the night. If laying sprawled on his bed with his book covering his face was any indicator. The young, near silent teen somehow managed to coast by with minimal effort and still got good grades. Something that his teammates envied him for. He could slack off all he wanted and still pass whereas they had to work for hours to absorb the material they learned. At the end of the day, Fox was just lucky.

Coco let her legs dangle off of her bed and she thought about Professor Goodwitch's class. She and her team was surprised to see the very man that Fox knocked out acting as an instructor. She was not sure what Ozpin was thinking letting the man on board the Beacon staff, but he most likely had his reasons.

"What do you all think about that Blackburn guy?" Coco looked at each of them.

"He seems like a nice person." Velvet turned to her, seeing an escape from the homework. "He did give some decent advice during the fights today."

"Yeah, but still. We've only seen this guy twice, and the first time is when he tried to kill Winter."

"True, but I don't think that incident and today is enough to go on to paint a clear picture of him."

Coco pursed her lips and mulled over Velvet's words. The girl was sharp and usually hit the nail on the head in her assessments. Perhaps she was right with the young man.

"I believe that first encounter with him turned out the way it did because of his past as a soldier," said Yatsuhashi.

"What makes you say that?" Coco quipped.

"It's not uncommon for soldiers to follow certain procedures when in battle. I think he may have resisted Winter because he was scared of what would happen if he didn't fight back."

"Seriously?"

"What does an animal do if it's outnumbered and backed into a corner?"

The fashionista bit her lip and looked down. It was not a trick question. If someone was in that position, their instinct is to defend themselves. One had to fight in those situations if they had any hope of living to see another day and it was better than awaiting the fate that came for not doing so.

"What brought this up if you don't mind me asking?" Yatsuhashi looked up at her.

Coco only shrugged and hopped off of her bed.

"Nothing really. Just trying to get my mind off of homework," she answered back.

With that, the brunette made her way to the dresser by her bed and opened it. She found the attire she was looking for and entered the bathroom to change. She exited it a minute later dressed in sweatpants and a tank top that hugged her figure.

"Any of you want to hit the gym?" She asked.

"Sorry, Coco. I want to finish this homework." Yatsuhashi shook his head.

Her brown eyes went to Velvet who quickly snapped back to her reading, giving her answer in doing so. She then looked to Fox who snored lightly under his book. At first she was tempted to grab his leg and drag him to the gym, but decided against it. That would only piss him off and make the workout boring.

"I'll see you all in an hour." She headed for the door.

"You better finish your homework when you get back! I don't want you rushing it at the last second!" Velvet hollered after her.

"Whatever you say, Mom."

Coco merely dismissed her words with a wave of her hand. She opened the door and exited the room with a slight sway in her hips.

* * *

 **We'll end it here and we'll have to see what's in store for Blackburn next. Thanks for reading. Some of you voiced that Blackburn became a teacher too quick, and while that is true, that role is only temporary for the story. What do I mean by that? You'll have to wait and see. See you next time.-CaptainPrice**


	6. PT

**I would like to thank all of you for the continued feedback and support. For that, I made another decent sized chapter for your enjoyment. It will start to point us in the true direction of the story.** **Hope you enjoy it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The cool air of Beacon's gym allowed some reprieve for those that were going hard on their scheduled workouts. It was not uncommon to see a facility for Huntsmen in training filled to the brim with people pushing themselves to the next level. However, this night was different. The gym was almost empty, save for a handful of people exercising at such a late hour. Weights clanged loudly as they were set in place for the next repetition and hard footsteps echoed off of the treadmills.

For Blackburn, he always found solace in exercising. During his days with his unit he would be up before the crack of dawn to conduct PT and then he would do his own workout at the end of the day if he had the time. It did wonders for him since he was one of the fittest soldiers in his unit and the fittest in his squad. When Glynda directed him to the gym he was quick to return to his room, change and bolt downstairs to continue his routine. Today was chest, shoulder and tricep day and he liked to go until he could no longer hold the weight.

The large bruise on his chest made it difficult for him to get through his repetitions and he silently cursed the copper haired boy that punched him a few days back. In hindsight, it could have been worse. If he was not wearing his IBA, there was a good chance the kid would have killed him.

His neck strained and he sucked in a breath as he lowered the large bar down and had it hover above his chest for a moment before he exhaled and pushed up. He could feel his arms shaking, but he was almost there. Just one more to go. He inhaled and brought the bar down once more and let out a grunt as he pushed it up with all of his might and racked it. He sat up and let his burning face cool off as sweat trickled down it.

"One more set. You got this!" He muttered to himself.

He rolled his shoulders and took a few deep breaths before he rested on the bench to push the bar off again, but he did not expect a shadow to loom over him. The corner of his brow rose in mild curiosity as he gazed up at the brunette. She looked familiar.

"Don't stop on my account, Professor." She smirked.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Blackburn answered back.

The brunette lowered her shades and peered down at him with her brown eyes. This time he felt his mind click. Although he vaguely remembered her, he recalled her looking down at him that first night he arrived on Remnant before he passed out.

"Still think I'm beautiful?" She leaned on the bar.

Blackburn blinked and was not sure how to respond to that question. Did he say something to her that night, or was she just teasing him?

"What?" He sat back up.

"Before you went night-night when we met, you called me beautiful. So I'm curious. Do I still fall in that category?" Her smirk grew.

Blackburn relaxed just a bit. He gave her a light shrug and rested back on the bench again to pump out his last set.

"I'd say you're about a seven," he said as he rested his hands on the bar. "Looks aren't everything."

"A seven? Wow, tough crowd." She whistled.

The specialist exhaled and held the bar in place before he lowered it again. His arms began to shake more and he pushed the bar up. Nine more to go. He could feel his face turning red again as he tried to focus on the weight, but with the brunette still towering over him it was a little distracting. Each rep became more and more difficult and when he came down for his last one, he could not get his arms up.

"Crap!" He wheezed out.

"Come on, push up!" The brunette squatted and rested her hands under his arms and guided him up.

The bar shot into the air and landed on the support beams with a loud crash. Blackburn shot off the bench and let out a loud breath. He was glad he finished the set, but still berated himself for needing a spotter at the end of the day. He liked being able to do it without a spotter since it gave him a gauge of how strong he was.

"Not bad," said the brunette.

She began to pull the plates off the bar and replaced them with lighter ones. When she finished getting them in place, she took position on the bench and stretched her arms out quick. This garnered lingering looks from the other Hunters in the room that eyed her as she stretched out. She smirked lightly at the attention. They could look, but could not touch. Just as she was about to begin her set, she tilted her head to look at Blackburn.

"Hey, spot me for a sec," she said.

Blackburn got behind the bar and had his hands by her arms after she pushed the bar up. He gave a nod of approval when he caught a glimpse of the weight on the bar. One-fifty. Not bad at all for a woman. He could not help but smile inwardly when he saw her handle the bar with little difficulty. Most girls he knew could not do that, even the ones he served with. No matter how many PT tests they maxed or how many times they were in the gym, he had never seen them handle a heavy bar well. The girl in front of him was strong and he respected that.

"Thanks." She rested the bar on the rack. "Usually Fox is here to help me out."

"Fox?" Blackburn parroted.

"My partner, and the guy who punched out your soul the other night."

"Ah…"

Fox… he'd have to set the record straight with him at some point. Maybe if his plans got approved by Ozpin he could use him as a demonstrator for the more interesting exercises. He looked back at the brunette who rolled her shoulders and got ready for another round on the bar. She looked back at him expectantly and he rolled his eyes and retook his spot behind her.

"Since I need someone to push me, you're going to be my gym buddy for the night. Deal?" She smirked at him.

"Sure." He nodded back.

Once the Huntress finished her last set, she steered him over to the squat rack. Having seen what she was capable of on the bench, he was really interested in seeing her strength with the leg department. She opted to go first and set her weight on, and he gave a nod of approval. While not insanely crazy like some of those cross-fit girls he saw, it was still a decent amount of weight. When she looked back at him expectantly he got behind her and was ready to spot her once again.

The girl pushed up and stood still briefly before squatting down in a controlled manner. He could hear the calm breath escape her as she pushed back up and repeated it again and again. Out of the corner of his eye he could see some of the other Hunters ogling the brunette with surprise and longing gazes. He also made note of some envious looks directed at him which he brushed off. Although he was guilty of doing what the Hunters that were watching, he never made it blatantly obvious. He had self-control and was able to keep his focus. To be fair though, the girl in front of him was good looking and could easily turn the heads of those she walked by.

"Hey, a little help!" Her voice made him snap to attention.

Blackburn squatted and helped her stand back up and she racked the bar. A thin sheet of sweat covered her face and the top of her shirt. She turned around and gave him a small glare.

"Pay attention, Professor." She stepped out from the rack. "That could've been bad."

"Sorry. I zoned out there," Blackburn answered back.

"Ah, whatever. You're up, so show me what you got."

Blackburn motioned for her to grab the forty-five pound weight to the side while he did the same. She rose a brow after he set it on the bar.

"You sure you got this?" She challenged.

"Watch and learn." He smirked back.

He got in the rack and rolled his neck and shoulders before getting under the bar. After feeling the cool metal grace his shoulders he took a deep breath and pushed off. Two sixty-five, ten reps, nice and easy. He felt his chest ache just a bit when he squatted down, but fought through it, mentally cursing out Fox for bruising him. The heat flooded his face and he looked up towards the ceiling and gave out one last breath as he sprang up and racked the weight.

The specialist turned around and gestured to the rack for her to go again.

"Not bad," she said with a nod. "But you can do more than that."

"Can you spot me if I go down?" He gave her a serious look.

"I can handle whatever you got."

The duo continued their workout and went all around the gym. Bench press, squat rack, dumbbells exercises, legs, they hit everything. That was normally a no-no in Blackburn's book since it hindered his performance the next day. He was now exhausted and could feel his clothes clinging to him, drenched from sweat. His partner looked no better. Her face was flushed and her hair was now somewhat disheveled, but the satisfied look never left her flawless face.

"I'm impressed. Didn't think you'd be able to keep up with me," she said.

"Give me some credit. I'm a teacher, so I have to walk the walk." He scoffed.

"Assistant teacher."

He rolled his eyes at the little jab from the brunette. They exited the gym and began their trek down the abandoned hall in silence. As they walked, Blackburn's mind began to drift. For the first time since he arrived at Remnant, he thought about his fire team. He could hear Busch's voice as it spouted off some twisted joke that would have horrified anyone who didn't know his sense of humor. Harvick's calm and laid back banter made him come off like the suave, cool guy that was looked up to by everyone around him. Then came Carlson.

Carlson… he frowned at the thought of his squad leader. His knuckles popped as he clenched his fists. If he had been quicker on the .50 and engaged that car, it would not have blown up. The HMMWV would not have been destroyed and turned into a fiery inferno that undoubtedly burned his body beyond recognition. Had he paid attention, none of that would have happened, Carlson would still be alive, and he would not be here at Beacon. It would have been just another day.

Although Carlson was in his late twenties, the man acted like the dad of his squad. Always harping on them to push themselves beyond their capabilities. Always training them from sunrise to sunset. He was a very personal man. Whenever they had a problem, he listened. He would fight tooth and nail to make sure their needs were met so they could continue with the mission. Everything an NCO should be and everything that a soldier should strive to be. It was Carlson's biggest value. Take care of your men, and get them home safe.

When the last two weeks of their deployment came, Carlson pulled him aside and began to give him more responsibility. He never said why, but Blackburn had a hunch it had to do with the fact he would be eligible for promotion to sergeant. A test to see if he was capable of handling the job.

 _"Pay attention!"_ He could see Carlson's face in front of him with the signature knife hand. _"Congratulations, Blackburn! You just got Busch killed! Front leaning rest, now!"_

His head snapped up when he felt a small nudge on his arm. He could see the Huntresses' eyes on him with a questioning gaze. Was she talking to him? He only blinked back and got another roll of the eyes from the brunette.

"Jeez, you're really out of it." She shook her head.

"Sorry. I… have a lot on my mind." He looked away.

"Well, in any case, I may have to make you my official gym partner."

Blackburn's brow furrowed a bit. He was not sure how to answer back to the girl's statement. Sure, he was a couple of years older than her and the others in the school, but it would more than likely be frowned upon if he was seen hanging around her outside of class and it could give the wrong impression. He had seen it happen in the news with student and teacher relationships, and even a few times with soldiers down range. Senior officers and NCOs spending more time together than they should with their subordinates was never a good thing. It gave birth to rumors and they traveled faster than a wildfire. A toxic topic that was sadly a big issue for military personnel.

"I don't think it'd be wise for me to hang out with you outside of class that much," he answered back.

"Please." She waved it aside. "It's your job to teach and help students, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"But what?"

He only shook his head and looked back at her.

"It just seems unprofessional. I'm supposed to be a teacher, not a student," he answered back.

The brunette clicked her tongue when they rounded the corner and she came to a stop by the first door. She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out her scroll to unlock it. The door clicked and she stepped inside.

"Wait," Blackburn stopped her.

"Hmm?" The girl looked back at him.

"We've hung out all night, but I never got your name."

The brunette turned around and held her hand out for him to take with a confident smirk.

"Adel. Coco Adel," she replied.

"Connor Blackburn." He gripped her hand tightly and shook it.

"I know who you are, Professor Blackburn. And I expect you to give me a hand if I need it."

With that, Coco entered her room and the door closed behind her quietly. Blackburn stared at the door for a moment and then continued down the hall and back to his office.

 _"Yeah."_ He scratched the back of his head.

* * *

Anyone who pictured a high ranking officer in the military often times thought of them having a lot of luxurious perks. That was true to an extent, but there were cons to having that position as well. Senior ranking officers got their own offices, their own staff and personal connections for leisure and professional purposes. However, it came with a bunch of paperwork, responsibility, and time. Something that was a difficult thing to manage if an officer had a family. For James Ironwood, it was just another day.

The general had no family to go to, but he considered his men his family and that was more than enough. He loved every value that came with being in the Atlas Military. The camaraderie, the adventure, the experience and overall, the men that decided to serve. Although they were no Huntsmen, they were more than capable of holding their own and decided to take up the role of a soldier over that of a Huntsman.

He finished signing another paper and leaned back in his chair. His hand trailed over to the side where a glass of whiskey was begging to be sipped. He brought the sour drink to his lips and let it trail down his throat. That was a man's drink if there ever was one and his go to for long nights like this. He took another long sip and set it back on his desk before turning his attention to the next short stack of papers before him. A grimace came to his face after reading the title on it.

Ironwood rubbed his eyes and then flipped open to the first page of the report. His intelligence teams were coming up short with finding new information on Queen and Lotus. It was not an easy job to do and it took time to get any form of reliable information, but when they did, they acted on it. The rule of thumb was that if their analysts' assessment was at least twenty percent accurate they acted on it. The last form of information they received was from the raid that Winter and Team CFVY conducted on the White Fang compound in the woods north of Vale. Although they found nothing that could shed light on the identities of the two targets, they did get the next best thing.

The reports that the team secured during the raid mentioned a point of contact who was used as a courier to deliver messages to their affiliates. The contact went by the name 'Shadow' and made frequent stops in Vale at a night clubs, storage units, and car dealerships. It would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

The log book that Winter collected from the raid made note of Shadow's travel pattern. He went between those locations every two weeks. The last piece of the puzzle was identifying him. Given the fact that he was acting as a courier for the White Fang and delivering messages for Lotus and Queen, he would be a key player in their objective to learning their identities. It was also a high possibility that Shadow was a Faunus. Since the White Fang did not trust humans, they always avoided them with the exception of Roman Torchwick who was the original middle man.

Ironwood sipped his whiskey again and his mouth twitched just a bit from the sour substance as it danced on his tongue. He turned to the next page of the report and his eyes fell upon a picture of Shadow. It was not much, but they at least had a way to partially identify him. Shadow's profile had him just above six feet tall and lean. His eyes were a piercing blue and a nasty scar ran along his left cheek.

Two firm knocks came from the door to his office. He looked up from the stack of papers on his desk and leaned back in his chair, glass in hand.

"Lieutenant Schnee reporting, Sir!" Winter called from behind the door.

"Enter," he replied.

The door opened and the young lieutenant strode to the front of his desk and stood at attention. Her posture was perfect and ready to answer whatever questions he had for her, or whatever she wanted to say.

"At ease, Winter." Ironwood waved a hand.

The white haired lieutenant blinked and her shoulders dropped, albeit slightly. Even if she was granted permission to relax, she was sure to remain professional. More than likely from force of habit after her childhood with her father.

"What's on your mind?" Ironwood asked.

"I wanted to talk about our next operation to capture Shadow," she said.

"Have a seat."

Winter gave a curt nod and sat in the chair before his desk. Her eyes looked out beyond the large window to the night sky and overlooked the city of Vale. The lights below the large airship twinkled and made it a beautiful sight to behold.

"Sir, as you know, Shadow has been using multiple areas in the city to meet contacts for Queen and Lotus," she began.

"Right." Ironwood nodded.

"Since he does not communicate with Queen and Lotus directly, he obviously is being tasked out to someone who has a more direct affiliation with them."

The general nodded at his junior officer. Her assessment was on point, but he refrained from speaking up. He wanted to know just how much of the puzzle she was able to assemble.

"Who do you believe his handler is?" Ironwood sipped his drink again.

"There's not enough to go off of, Sir. But since we found this information during that raid, it would be a fair assessment that it's someone in the White Fang." She folded her arms.

This garnered another nod from the general. So far so good. Lotus and Queen would not give a lowly courier the time of day and would delegate that task to someone ranked higher than him. Shadow was merely a low-level pawn in a terrorist cell.

"What would your course of action be for dealing with him?" Ironwood looked at her.

"We know he uses public facilities to meet these other contacts, so I came up with a collection plan," she answered.

She reached into her coat and pushed paper onto his desk. He turned the paper upright and his eyes scanned it again and again to make sure he understood just what his lieutenant had planned. Like any good operation, they needed intelligence to go off of. The young woman's plan involved a few weeks of reconnaissance to try and learn his pattern as well as positively identify him. Sixteen known locations would require two squads of eight to conduct surveillance on them. One man per building and taking notes on the recon to culminate it into a final product. Once the pattern was determined, they would apprehend Shadow when the time was right.

The plan was excellent, but there was one small problem that the general was seeing. When they arrived at the city before the Breach occurred, it did more than draw the attention of the civilians. It also brought a sense of worry to the populace. With the military arriving in all of its glory, it only gave the perception that something big was coming.

The Breach was the catalyst to Queen's plan. To instill fear into the people and make them doubt their faith in the Huntsmen and the Atlas Military. Although the Breach did cause a lot of destruction and injured many, no one was killed thanks to the Huntsmen and soldiers that eliminated the Grimm and drove the White Fang back. That seemed to ease some concern, but Ironwood knew this was all part of Queen's plan, which he shared with Ozpin, Glynda and Qrow.

Being a commander throughout the years of his career gave him a lot of skills, and one of those was insight. One had to be able to look at the big picture and put themselves in the enemy's shoes to try and predict what they would do next in order to try and stop them. That was why military intelligence was both good and bad at their job, it was nothing but analysis and assessments given from what they could gather on said enemy. What Queen had done was nothing but a simple sleight of hand. It was to draw the attention of the populace by making them focus more carefully on the Atlas Military and Huntsmen after they were caught off guard with the Breach. She would strike again when people believed that they could start to trust them once more to put the final nail in the coffin.

Getting caught with their pants down damaged their reputation and it would only take one more significant moment like that to completely sabotage them. Grimm and White Fang activity did not just slow down in Vale, it stopped, almost completely. After the capture of Roman Torchwick, there had been very little activity to draw the attention of the populace which started to lure them into a false sense of reality, and while that sounded like a blessing, it was a disaster waiting to happen.

If they wanted to capture Shadow, they had to do it in a more controlled way. Doing it in a manner that would draw the attention of the civilians would make it all the more easier for Queen or Lotus to make their next move.

"What would you propose then?" Ironwood spoke up. "We don't want to rile the people up by going public with operations."

"Right," said Winter. "Since we are doing operations under the radar, that's the way we'll have to do it here. Which is why I'm requesting permission to form a SOF team whose sole purpose will be to work counter-insurgency in Vale to keep attention off of the military."

Ironwood pondered her words for a moment. Counter-insurgency was an almost forgotten tactic, having not been used since the Great War. It was still taught as part of common core for soldiers, but had no purpose as of late due to peace throughout the kingdoms that was only disrupted by criminal groups like the White Fang which highly trained Huntsmen normally handled. Winter had thought of a good way to counter back and continue on their mission, but even then it was a stretch. Sure, it was easy to blend into the civilian world and operate, but it was also risky due to the lack of usage. Counter-insurgency operations normally fell to both conventional and SOF teams. Given that they needed to stay on the DL, it would fall to SOF, and SOF was only cut out for certain candidates.

It was a demanding job that was only handled by the best of the best. The risk of an operation going wrong could result in harsh consequences and that was the last thing they needed. With everything he had read in the report and what Winter brought up with him only left him with two decisions. The first was to let everything play out and wait for Queen to make her next move and go from there. The second was to risk everything and go with Winter's suggestion.

Ironwood stood up and walked to the window. His tired eyes gazed at the city. All he wanted was to protect everyone and he almost failed with the Breach. He and Ozpin wanted the same thing, but they both had different views on how to combat and fix their problems.

He took a long drink from his glass and continued staring out of the window. Winter had remained silent, waiting for him to give his answer. After a minute, he spoke.

"What would you need?"

"Sir, I have a list of capable soldiers that I believe are suited for the job. I would also like to have permission from Ozpin to use Team CFVY," she answered back.

Ironwood was hesitant about the latter part of her request, but stopped and thought about it. Ozpin did not say it directly that night after the completed raid, but he did mention that he wanted his students to understand what awaited them down the road in their careers. He would have to talk with his old friend tomorrow, but he did not see the headmaster disagreeing with him.

"Very well. I'll take a look at your roster to see if I approve of the men you chose. Until I get an answer from Ozpin, we'll hold off from adding Team CFVY to it," he said as he walked back to his desk.

"Yes, Sir." Winter nodded.

"You are dismissed, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir!"

The lieutenant gave a crisp salute, about-faced and strode from the room, closing the door behind her. Now alone to his work, Ironwood sat back in his chair and finished the contents in his glass.

He had confidence in Winter's plan, but he wanted a second opinion. It would have to be from someone that understood their line of work, but it was not Ozpin. But he knew the right person to consult with.

* * *

 **We'll end it there. We see Blackburn and Coco have their first true encounter, not counting the night of the raid. On top of that, Winter presents her plan to Ironwood to apprehend the courier. We'll see Blackburn interact with the students, as well as Winter and Ironwood more in the next chapter. Let me know what you think. See you next time.-CaptainPrice**


	7. Combatives

**Hey all, I'm here with another update. It's a long chapter and probably is one of, if not the most important one in the story, so I hope you read it carefully. I also want you to know I made a slight change to Winter's rank in the story and changed it from captain to lieutenant. I did that for the previous chapters as well because I want to make this more realistic and with her probably being 22-25 years old, lieutenant was a more fitting rank in my mind since one will probably be in their early 30s before they're a captain.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for the continued support. The reviews, favorites and alerts for an OC story like this have flattered me, so I hope you are all enjoying it. Let me know what you thought of the chapter.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

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Blackburn was in a good mood. Having a day off to recover from his workout helped him focus on his reading. He buried himself in the concepts of Dust, the four kingdoms, history, Huntsmen and the Atlas Military. Even though he only retained part of it, he had to keep at it. Repetition was key in learning, but he was now confident he had a decent understanding in the basic concepts of Dust, Aura and Semblances. The others… it would take time, but he would have more than enough time in is his free hours when he wasn't helping Glynda.

Today would be the second day his second class day and when Glynda called him the night before, he was thrilled to hear that Ozpin was willing to let him try his methods to help train his students. However, he also needed to prove its worth to make sure Ozpin found it worthy of staying in the curriculum. First step would be to implement the importance of hand to hand training. Such a concept was almost laughable here in Remnant from what he could tell due to everyone having Aura to protect them as well as a Semblance and a crazy two in one weapon system capable of wreaking all kinds of mayhem. Then again, it presented him with his own challenge. How would they react if they were disarmed and out of options?

He was not fond of the idea of limiting their abilities so he could in turn demonstrate what he wanted to teach them, but it was the only way it would work. At least until they were all familiar with the art of hand to hand as a last resort option. From there he would take them to live team exercises with mini missions and spar sessions against other teams. Although he was still working on the plan, it was probably enough to get him by for now.

The specialist was fiddling with his scroll as he waited for the classroom to fill up. It took him a while to figure out the tiny device, but once he did, he soon made the discovery it mimicked the cell phones back on Earth. Just more advanced and capable of a few additional functions for everyday use. That was one thing he noted upon arriving in Remnant. Technology was a big part in both worlds, yet the ironic part was that both of their worlds were ahead and behind each other in certain aspects. Remnant had super humans, Earth had normal people. Remnant had hover ships, but did not have the technological advancement to send satellites or people into space. Earth didn't have giant hover ships, but did beat them in the space department.

"Talk about ass-backwards," he muttered to himself.

His cell phone would not work since there were no service providers, but the scroll Glynda gave him saved him a lot of trouble. The technology was smart, and synchronized with his phone and downloaded most of the data and music on his phone, much to his enjoyment. If he could have at least one thing with him that worked, it would be his music. He just finished creating the playlist as the bell rang to signal the start of class.

He pocketed his scroll and stood beside Glynda who adjusted her glasses and she did a quick sweep around the room to ensure everyone was seated and on time. The blonde witch spared him a quick look and took a step forward.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning, Professor Goodwitch," the students chorused back.

"I know we originally planned on more battles today, but Mister Blackburn here approached Ozpin and myself about new teachings for the curriculum."

A series of murmurs and groans filled the room, but Blackburn only smiled. He was sure that they would warm up to the idea soon enough. He took a step forward when Glynda looked back at him and nodded.

"I know you all enjoy fighting each other, but trust me, if this goes the way I hope it does, then you won't be complaining for long," he said.

He pulled out his scroll once more and got his playlist ready to go.

"To start off, I want all of you to come down here and start stretching out. Let's move!" He said.

Footsteps echoed around the room as the students bustled down the stairs and filled the arena. Most of the students stuck close by their teams and their friends and Blackburn made a note to have them spread out for later dates. Once all of the students were in the arena and had enough room, they started stretching to prepare for the exercise the new assistant had for them. The quiet arena was soon filled with loud music that made some of the students jump in surprise.

Blackburn had started the music he had lined up. He felt that having something to listen to while doing a workout helped psyche someone up and clear their minds. In this case, he decided to treat them to Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone". He walked in between students to make sure they were all loosening up and glanced at his watch. One more minute should do the trick. He walked back to Glynda who merely had a brow raised in curiosity.

"I'm a little interested in how this goes with your teaching style," she said.

"You'll see soon enough." He smirked back.

Not having much workout attire after his shopping adventure with Glynda a few days back, the specialist had diverted back to wearing his OCP trousers and green shirt. He lowered the volume just enough for his voice to be heard over the music. After taking a quick glance around at the other students he could see that they looked more relaxed than earlier which is what he wanted to see. So far so good.

A hand shot up from the middle of the crowd and Blackburn was able to make out a short, white-haired girl. He had to do a double take when he got a look at her face. The girl appeared to be a younger version of Winter Schnee. Was she related to the short tempered lieutenant?

"Yes?" He pointed to her.

"What exactly is this lesson we're doing?" She asked.

"Well, Miss…"

"Weiss Schnee, Professor."

Crap, just his luck to encounter another Schnee. He stomped out that negative thought and tried to look on the bright side. She did not seem anything like her sister and actually seemed more polite than her. Then again, maybe his status as the assistant teacher played a part in that. Nevertheless, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

"Well, to answer your question, let's get a show of hands here. How many of you are familiar with hand to hand combat?" He looked around the sea of students.

All of them raised their hands. That was a little expected, but he'd soon find out which students were truly familiar with the concept.

"How many of you know how to fight using hand to hand?" He continued.

This time he only saw three hands shoot up. The first hand belonged to a copper haired boy with dark skin. The second was a silver haired boy, and the last was a tall blonde girl in the middle of the crowd. He nodded again and they lowered their hands.

"Part of my lesson plan for you all is to learn some hand to hand combatives. When I was in the military, we were trained how to fight an enemy who was armed and unarmed," he said.

"What purpose does this serve, Professor?" Asked a redhead with bronze armor.

"Bottom line, I want you to picture yourself against a Grimm. No weapon, you're out of Aura and your only way to survive is fight. What do you do?"

A few murmurs went through the crowd. Some of the students exchanged looks and appeared a little confused about what he was getting at. Blackburn rubbed his chin and took a step back for a moment. Maybe he should try a different approach to make them see what he was getting at?

"Let's back up for a second." He tried again. "Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what I want to teach you, I want to know what all of you believe your job as a Huntsman is."

The specialist snuck a glance and Glynda and saw her pensive face. He was not sure how she was evaluating his class so far, but he could only hope he was doing well enough that she would let him continue. He returned his focus back to the students who were all mulling over his question. The question was not a hard one and was capable of having multiple answers. Everyone had their own reasons for becoming a Huntsman, but this would lead to his follow up question pending the answers he got from the teenagers.

Weiss Schnee was the first to step up and speak.

"A Huntsman is to preserve the peace throughout the four kingdoms and protect the world from the creatures of Grimm."

He nodded and pointed at the next hand he saw. This time it was Jaune Arc who spoke up.

"To protect those who can't protect themselves or are not willing to stand and do it?"

A small smile came to Blackburn's face. That was the answer he would often hear other soldiers give people online and on the streets if they asked them what they truly did down range or if they criticized them and tried to tell them they were wrong. He accepted that answer and moved on to the next student. He asked three more students before dismissing the other hands that were in the air.

All of the answers were good. Granted a lot of them were practically the same, just worded differently, they weren't wrong. Now is where it would get a little gray with his questions.

"Not bad. You all have a general idea of what your duty is," he said. "Now, let me ask you this. Do you think Grimm is all you should be focused on stopping?"

The students were silent and looked between each other again. It was not a farfetched question in his mind. Sure, from what Glynda had told him and what he read, Grimm were a big threat and their primary focus, but they could not be the only threat. Even Remnant had to have its groups of bad individuals that had their own agenda and could pose just as big a threat. No world was ever peaceful and not everyone was good. There were twisted people out there that threatened to change everyone's ways of life and were capable of doing more damage to than Grimm ever could.

"What are you suggesting, Professor?" Asked a girl with long, black hair.

Blackburn turned to look at the girl with the bow. Her amber eyes looked back him and her head was tilted to the side with curiosity.

"I'm saying not to limit your thoughts to Grimm. Trust me, while they are a threat, you should keep other possibilities in mind," he replied. "What's to stop a group of people from rising up and starting trouble because they have different agendas or views that they wish to enforce upon others?"

"But we haven't had any conflict like that since the Great War," Cardin spoke up. "The only thing close to what you're suggesting is the White Fang."

The boy's reply earned him an icy look from the bow wearing girl, but she only shook her head and turned away. Blackburn did not feel confident to comment back on that. He had only heard of bits and pieces about the White Fang and was not too sure on what to label them. All he knew was that they were a Faunus group trying to be treated equally. In a way, it was similar to the Civil Rights movements back in the fifties and sixties, with the only difference being about equality for one's skin color. In this case, the Faunus just wanted to be treated equally like other humans.

"Regardless of who the White Fang are and what they do, I'm just saying to keep an open mind. Personally, I'd be more concerned of an intelligent person than a Grimm that can be cut down just like that." He snapped his fingers to make his point.

The murmurs between the students continued. Seeing that the lesson was getting off track, he quickly changed focus back to the agenda he had set. His end state was to have each of the students be trained up to level one certification in combatives. The class length would give him enough time to get them up to speed on grappling and escape drills to be followed with a small test phase and he could have it done within four weeks. Some students would be quick to pick up the movements and convert them to muscle memory, whereas others it would take some extra time. In the end, they would all be able to pass the test when it came.

First came learning the grips and option drills for escape. His eyes did another sweep of the class and after confirming there was an even amount of students, he continued

"Alright, the best way to learn this is to show a demonstration of the movement and then we'll break off into pairs to practice on each other. I need a volunteer to start…"

His eyes then fell on Fox and a wicked smirk came to his face. The copper haired boy only cocked an eyebrow at him, but soon turned in the direction of the hand that shot up not far from him. Blackburn followed the boy's gaze and his eyes fell upon the blonde girl who happened to specialize in hand to hand combat.

"I'll do it," she said.

"Oh, okay," said Blackburn, somewhat disappointed he couldn't tag Fox back. "Come on up."

The blonde girl moved with a pep in her step and exited the crowd a moment later. Blackburn only blinked at the young woman before him. He silently wondered if this was truly a school for combat or a school for supermodels. There was no way the girl was seventeen. The blonde had a body that women would kill for and men would eye up without shame. Her hips swayed from side to side with each step she took. Her lilac eyes held playfulness and were filled with confidence. The impish look on her face gave him the impression the girl had a teasing nature.

Blackburn did not know who the girl's father was, but the poor man had to have his hands full when it came to boys coming on to his daughter. Most likely spending time beating them back with sticks or threats should they try anything. When the blonde came to a stop in front of him, he gave her a small nod.

"What's your name?" He asked her.

"The name's Yang." She chirped back. "Show me what you got, Professor."

"Alright, since you're the hand to hand fighter in here, show me a fighting stance."

The blonde's hands formed tight fists and she brought them up towards her face, but kept them away for any quick blocks or to counter back with a jab. Her elbows were tucked in and her dominant foot was back and planted in the ground with her other in front and knees somewhat bent. Her weight was balanced on the balls of her feet.

"Good. Lesson number one for all of you here is the proper fighting stance." He gestured to Yang. "Biggest thing to remember, keep your guard up and protect the pretty. I don't know about you all, but I don't want a punch anywhere near my gorgeous face."

At long last, the specialist finally heard a few chuckles. He was starting to wonder whether or not his sense of humor would be able to reach anyone. It was a good sign that the students were at least somewhat comfortable with him.

"The first thing we're going to do is show you is the fifty-fifty position, also known as pummeling. This will be a starting point to clinching which we will get into later," he said.

Blackburn motioned for Yang to come close and he gripped her shoulder with one hand and the other secured a grip on her other arm above the elbow. His sudden grip made her tense up, but she relaxed when he held up a hand and told her to mimic his grip. Once her hands were gripped like his, he turned back to the class.

"This here is the pummeling position which is what we will be starting with for a lot of our exercises. For now, I want you all to pair up and get a grip on each other like Miss Xiao Long and I have here," he said.

It did not take long for everyone to get a partner and once they all had a grip, Blackburn continued with his instruction. This was where it got complicated for some since those unfamiliar with any form of hand to hand sparring or training would be trying to take it step by step in their minds to try and emulate what he showed them. He took his hand that was on Yang's shoulder and indicated for her to mimic his movement.

His arm ducked inside her guard and gripped her tricep while his other wormed out of the grip and gripped her shoulder. The blonde mimicked his exact movement, and like him, changed her feet along with her grip during the movement. They repeated the move once more, slower to let the students follow along. Some students were quick to get the hang of the exercise and were moving with little difficulty. The slower students kept freezing and trying to correct one another on who was right.

"Try not to think about the steps," Blackburn offered. "Just remember the movements before your next go and move when it feels right."

He then walked around to each pair of students that were struggling, correcting their grips and stepping in to be a temporary partner to walk each one through until they got it. Thankfully, Yang was doing the same thing, but she was getting a little too into it. The looks of discomfort from some of the students she stopped to correct became apparent when their arms began to bruise. He then turned the music back up and let the partnered trainees continue with practicing the first drill.

Glynda stopped beside him and watched the students continue the exercise in silence. She was concerned that her assistant would struggle with being able to connect with the students to the point they would listen and be able to grasp what he wanted to teach them. He almost lost control of the session when the class began to bring up personal beliefs on what could be potential enemies they faced in their career. And even though it was a reasonable teaching point, it would have been better to save that for later in the year when the students were more grounded with their responsibilities.

"I think it's time we moved on with your lesson." She spared him a quick look from her clipboard.

"Right." He grunted back. "Alright, bring it in!"

The music died down again and the class circled around him, looking more disheveled than earlier. He snuck a glance at his watch and sucked his teeth. He lost track of time and had about an hour left to cram in the next drill along with option one and two. It was doable, but he would have to adjust to make it work.

"Goldilocks, where are you?" He called out.

Yang appeared a second later with a wide grin, eager to continue with the lesson. When the bubbly girl got to his side, he turned back to the class.

"Right. Next we will delve into the post, and follow up with options one and two," he continued. "These are supposed to be defensive moves you can do if your opponent closes the distance and you are unable to use your weapon immediately."

He made Yang stand in front of him and held up his guard. The post was simple enough and only involved thrusting the arm out and placing said hand on the attacker's chest to stop them. This led to options one and two. Option one involved pushing the attacker back with the hand used to block and create space to engage with the primary weapon. Option two came if the attacker continued their stride and collapsed the post which led to the frame. If it came to that, then the frame had the defender's arm in a diagonal hold with the hand on the attacker's shoulder and the defender's free hand was to pull out a secondary weapon to engage the enemy. In Blackburn's case, it would have been his knife or his pistol.

"Miss Xiao Long, just know this next bit is not to come off as harassment, but to teach," he said to the blonde.

"Okay?" She quirked a brow.

"Come at me."

The blonde strode forth and got ready to bring her fist in for a punch, but stopped when Blackburn placed a firm hand on her sternum. She blinked and gazed up at the assistant instructor who did not meet her eyes, but was instead looking at the class who looked very intrigued with what would come next.

"The purpose of the post is to stop your enemy from closing the distance like this. You can then follow up with options one or two, but we'll start with option one first."

Blackburn gave a hard shove and sent Yang staggering back and then raised his arms as if he were holding a rifle at her.

"Option one is to create space between you and your assailant to engage them with your main weapon. In my days in the military, I would use my rifle since it was my main weapon. See where I'm going with this?" He swept the crowd.

He got a collection of nods from the students and motioned for them to break off into partners and practice both the post and option one.

"Oh, and before I forget…" he spoke up. "Ladies, if you are paired up with a male and they try to cop a feel, you have my permission to deliver one of the following to them. A firm knee to the jewels or a hard slap to the face."

There had to be damage control and with what he did to Yang, he wanted to drive that point home. Women learning combatives was good, but in the specialist's mind, it was a somewhat grey area. All soldiers needed to learn and train like they fought, but during combatives it involved touching individuals in certain spots that would otherwise raise red flags with the SHARP representatives in the unit. And while there were probably protocols that the staff at Beacon followed for such an incident, he felt he could keep that issue from rearing its ugly head by empowering the females in the class.

Judging by the pale faces from the males in the room, he felt it would not be much of an issue. With that, he gave them the go and walked around the class again to observe and correct the struggling students. The exercise was easy for them to grasp and he made a note to have them actually practice it with their primary weapons when given the chance during the next spar session that Glynda had. Simulating the moves only helped so much. Carrying it out again and again with their weapons would be more beneficial for them and help with muscle memory.

"Switch partners!" He called out.

The students were quick to split from their current partner and found a new one.

"Professor Blackburn?" Ruby's hand rose up.

"Yes, Miss Rose?" Blackburn turned to her.

"Why did you want us switch our partners?"

"I don't want you getting comfortable with just one person. Everyone fights differently, so it's important to get that message across now."

"Oh, I see."

The young riding hood faced her partner who happened to be the very boy she trashed a few days prior in the fight, Russel Thrush. The mohawked boy was the first to move and he was halted in his place by Ruby, but her arm soon buckled and Russel was quick to stop a punch shy of her face. She puffed her cheeks out and looked down to the ground, discouraged with the failure.

Blackburn was about to intervene to help her, but stopped when Russel spoke up.

"You need to be faster," he said. "You don't have the strength or the size to stop someone like me from getting close. Use your speed to stop me."

Ruby nodded and resumed her guard and watched as Russel came at her again. This time she was ready. Taking her partner's words to mind, the second her hand touched his chest and stopped him and gave the quick shove, knocking the boy off balance. Her face lit up and a grin threatened to split her face in two.

"There you go. Just like that." Russel nodded.

"Thanks. Now it's your turn!" She walked towards him.

With Russel giving Ruby the advice she needed, Blackburn continued his walk between the sparring pairs. They were coming along well and grasped the technique with little difficulty. Not that it was very hard in the first place, but the challenge was to get them to step out of their comfort zone.

He looked at his watch once more. Time to wrap it up with option two. He hurried to his spot and everyone stopped fighting once he hollered over them.

"Bring it in!"

Yang was quickly beside him once more and nodded at him to show she was ready for the next drill.

"All of you were quick to grasp the post and option one, so we'll finish today with option two. Pay attention since it's similar to option one, but with a couple differences."

He beckoned Yang to come at him again. She started forward and was halted when he placed his hand on her sternum, but this time she saw his arm buckle. His arm was now diagonally across her chest with his posted hand gripping her shoulder.

"Option two is to engage with a secondary weapon and comes if your attacker collapses your post to this framed position here. You want to keep them at bay like this, but at the same time have enough room to use your secondary weapon to stop them, like so."

Blackburn reached to his side and pulled out his pistol. The empty gun was held sideways and aimed for Yang's stomach. He pulled the trigger and a light click met everyone's ears. Had the gun been loaded and the attacker's Aura depleted, the bullet would be lodged in their stomach, dropping them to the ground. He gently pushed Yang off and turned back to the class.

"By show of hands, how many of you have a secondary weapon like a knife or a pistol?"

No one raised their hands and he frowned a bit. Back up weapons were a necessity when in the field be it weapon's failure or if things went incredibly wrong and the enemy were within striking distance. Blackburn always had three on him when he was in the field. His rifle, his pistol, and his knife. Seeing that students had no backup to defend themselves was a shock to him. Granted they were practically superhuman and had extraordinary capabilities, even they had to see the benefit of carrying a secondary weapon.

"Okay, well, I guess we'll work on that aspect later. For now, just simulate a stab with a knife," said Blackburn.

He had them switch partners once more to keep them on their toes. Not only was he watching them perform the drill, but he was also watching each student individually. It did not take long to narrow down the top students in the class. He had a list of each team that attended the class and although he was still learning their names, four teams stuck out. Team RWBY, JNPR, CFVY and CRDL. They were quickest to get a grip on the drills he taught them throughout the class and they were the ones who helped those that struggled in practicing the exercise.

The clicking of Glynda's heels came to a stop beside him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the spectacled woman observing the lesson with sharp eyes. This was the first time he ventured out on his own to come up with training for others. It was one thing to teach a class to soldiers that they learned before, but making something from the ground up without any guidance was a little intimidating. He could only hope that he scored enough points with the blonde to keep up with the lessons. She was his evaluator and he did not want to disappoint her.

He continued staring at her green eyes and frowned. The look she had was similar to Sergeant Carlson's. For a fleeting moment, he could see his old squad leader in her place and silently watching the lesson for himself. He was always strict with the teaching points and he wondered if the blonde woman was similar to him in that regard.

 _"Is this what it would have been like if you were prepping me to become a sergeant?"_ He folded his arms.

His lingering gaze caught the attention of the blonde woman and she turned to him. In doing so, the transparent figure of Carlson vanished.

"Mister Blackburn, are you okay?" Glynda asked.

"Yeah," he replied quickly. "Sorry about that. I zoned out for a second."

"It's no trouble. You should finish your lesson. Class is almost done."

He nodded and gave a sharp whistle, ending the small scuffles between the students. They were quick to face him and were ready for whatever he had to say next. It excited him just a bit to see the students acting respectful and looking eager to continue with the next lesson.

"That'll be all for the day," he said. "When I was in the military and we finished training or a mission we conducted after action reviews, or AARs for short. So consider this a moment where we can review the lesson we learned today. Give me some things that were good and some things I can make note of to improve later."

A bunch of hands rose, but to save time he decided to take three students' suggestions. His biggest relief was that the class found it beneficial to get a small crash course into hand to hand combat and wanted to continue with the training. However, like any AAR, there was something to improve on and the suggestion Weiss hit him with was good.

"Practice your posture. You looked unsure of what you were doing at some points during the lesson."

He nodded and thanked her for the tip. No point in trying to deny it when it was true. He was nervous with his first lesson and was not sure how it would go. With a shrug he cast a glance at his watch and had one minute to kill. His brown eyes swept the students and he spotted the blonde that helped him during the lesson.

"Miss Xiao Long, come up here for a second," he said.

The blonde jogged up to face him and he gave her a curt nod. He turned on his heel and walked a few feet away before turning around. One step after the next he got closer to the blonde who immediately brought up her guard and narrowed her eyes. He continued his stride until she stopped him with a firm hand.

"Option one, go!" He snapped.

The blonde gave him a hard shove and pushed him off and lunged at him with her arm back. Her fist smashed into his chest and launched him off his feet. The air left his lungs and his eyes widened in slight shock as he tried to comprehend what just hit him. His back hit the floor and he slid to a stop, completely dazed. He winced as he sat up and sucked in air, eyes screwed shut.

"I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" Yang smirked at him.

"Not even close." He gingerly stood up, but immediately hunched over. _"Christ, she hits like a fuckin' truck!"_

He stood upright and trudged over to the crowd, doing everything he could to ignore the stabbing pain in his chest. The blonde's punch hit him in the same spot Fox hit him the other day and he had half a mind to believe his sternum was now cracked.

"We'll continue the lesson and delve into option three later. Glynda's got the next class, so be ready to fight again."

The bell rang and the students started to file out of the arena and into the hall, leaving Blackburn and Glynda alone. When team RWBY left the room, Blackburn hunched over and nursed his chest. In hindsight, it was a bad idea on his end, but he wanted to check and see how much of the lesson stuck with the blonde since she did more correcting than practice. He would not have to worry about her development and made a mental note not to try that again any time soon.

"That was foolish of you to do with no Aura." Glynda's voice met him.

"Not my shining moment." He grunted back.

"Here…"

The blonde witch helped him up and led him out of the room and back to her office. She rolled her eyes at the low groans leaving her assistant. The door closed behind her and she gently set him in the chair before her desk and promptly walked over to the burner to boil some water.

"I'm not a doctor, but I don't think tea is what I need right now," Blackburn said as he shifted in the chair.

"Can you breathe?" She quipped back.

"Yeah."

"Does it hurt when you do?"

"Just a bit."

"You'll be fine."

Despite the pain his chest, a chuckle escaped him. She may not have been Sergeant Carlson, but she would definitely get along with the man. She took her seat at her desk and rested her clipboard on it before taking her glasses off to wipe them clean.

"So, how'd I do?" He looked at her.

Glynda did a once over on her glasses and put them back on. "While you don't have any experience with teaching, I thought you did well for your first lesson."

"Anything in particular that you want to point out?"

"Well, I don't believe playing music during class is too professional for starters. You also need to learn to stay on track with the lesson. You spent at least ten minutes discussing subjects that would be more suitable for Professor Port or Oobleck's classes."

He only nodded and sat up in his seat when he felt the pain in his chest null. The kettle behind him hissed and Glynda flicked her riding crop to bring the scalding water over to her desk where two empty mugs waited. He watched the boiling water pour into the mug and Glynda pulled out two tea pouches. The witch set a pouch in each mug and she gently pushed one over to him.

"Try drinking that. It might help," she said.

"Thanks." He picked up the mug.

The searing heat met his tongue and burned the back of his throat as he sipped it. In the past it would have made him sputter, but he was used to it. Sometimes he would have to chug the coffee that was available before heading out of the FOB on patrol in the mornings. It was never pleasant, but one had to make do with the time they had available.

Almost instantly, Blackburn felt his body warm up as the tea nestled in his stomach. The pain in his chest flared a bit, but soon died. His muscles loosened and became relaxed and he could feel his body meld with the chair. His eyes adopted a half-lidded gaze and he looked at the ceiling, quietly mulling over Glynda's critique.

"Do I really need to stop playing music during class? I think the students enjoyed it," he finally spoke up.

His eyes shifted down to the blonde witch who calmly sipped her tea. A pensive look adorned her face and her eyes met his. She blinked and sighed before leaning back in her chair.

"I suppose I can grant you a little freedom with your teaching," she said with a small smile.

"Thank you," he answered back.

"But nothing vile or derogatory."

Of course there was a catch, but he could work around it. At least she was giving him permission to do so in the first place. He sipped his tea again and closed his eyes. His second day of teaching was in the books and more would follow. Although he had some kinks to work out, he felt accomplished.

* * *

Ironwood silently read over the latest reports from his technicians. They had made decent headway into the testing, but there was still some bugs that needed sorting out. Their original tests to give Aura to a synthetic being took longer than they hoped, but they finally succeeded in the form of Penny Polendina. She was the reason they decided to try pushing their limits with Aura and bestowing it to others. If they could provide it to a synthetic being, there was a chance to give it to an actual human and in doing so, could make them stronger than the average Huntsman or soldier.

He had kept this testing on the down low and knew the dispute it could cause if word got out. Looking at it from the standpoint of a Hunter, they were harnessing the Aura of one and infusing it with another person which sounded dangerous enough. With Aura being the manifestation of one's soul, it was playing a very risky game. If one were to be infused with someone else's Aura in an attempt to strengthen the individual, there was no telling what would happen. The logical assumption that his technicians gave him was that it would cause mental duress on the individual and could change them entirely. There was no guarantee the person would be the same if that was to be attempted.

Although the process was risky for one with Aura to undergo the procedure, there was no telling what would happen to someone who had no Aura. That was very unlikely, though. Everyone in Remnant had Aura and had the choice to either unlock it or keep it locked and live the life of a civilian. In the end it was just wishful thinking.

He sighed and got up from his desk. His meeting with Ozpin was coming up and he did not want to keep his old friend waiting. He was greeted by Winter when he stepped out of his office and the door locked behind him.

"General Ironwood," she greeted.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant Schnee." He nodded back.

The two of them walked side by side down the hall and towards the loading bay. After giving Winter's plan the go ahead, they had to inform Ozpin of their next move and ask him to task out Team CFVY for future operations within Vale. There was no doubt that the Beacon headmaster would deny assigning his students to a mission that gave them the chance to grow as Huntsmen. He had been very clear about that when he tasked Team CFVY out to them for the raid on the White Fang compound the week prior.

Neither officer spoke a word to each other on the trek down to the bay, just enjoying the mutual silence. The young lieutenant's mind was coming up with her next move in terms of beginning the hunt for Shadow. Her SOF team would begin their reconnaissance tomorrow by surveying the target areas she noted in the reports she presented to the general. She had the utmost confidence in her plan and had no doubt that she could apprehend Shadow within the month once she was sure of his patterns.

She stole a look at the general who had his eyes front. The respect she had for the man beside her was great and she did not question his decisions. She owed him a lot for everything he did for her while she was going through Atlas Academy. He was very supportive of her and talked with her a lot outside of class periods, answering every question she could pick his brain with. She learned everything from him. How to be a leader, how to make decisions, and how to stick to her decisions if she felt challenged by those that disagreed with her. In a way, he was like the father she never had. He had all the traits she wished her father would have. Supportive, caring, selfless, and brave.

Her fists clenched tightly as she thought about her father. She and her sister had an estranged relationship with the man and wasted no time in heading out on their own when given the chance. Winter had not talked with the man in almost two years, and was in no hurry to do so. The moment she decided to join the military after finishing at Atlas Academy, he had given her the cold shoulder and passed on the title of heiress to the Schnee fortune to Weiss.

It wasn't enough for him to try and control her life, but he had taken it upon himself to try and set Weiss up with a future she was unsure about. It was about him and his agenda. Always has been, and as far as she could see, it always would be.

Winter and James boarded the Bullhead that was prepared for them and stared out the window as Beacon drew closer with each passing second. The trip was short, no more than two minutes from the ship to the school. They departed the vessel and moved swiftly to Ozpin's office.

"Winter, are your thoughts about Connor Blackburn?" Ironwood asked.

"Sir?" She replied, a little surprised with the random question.

"What do you think about Mister Blackburn?"

Winter bit her lip and scowled. She was less than thrilled with the soldier and was still sour about him landing a hit on her with their short skirmish on the night they met. To add insult to injury, the man inadvertently disrupted her raid with Team CFVY as well.

"What brought this up if you don't mind me asking, Sir?" She asked.

"I wanted to get some insight from him in terms of our operations," he replied as they rounded the corner. "I'm curious how the U.S. Army handled counterinsurgency and wanted to see if he could share his experience with it."

"Do you not trust our own capabilities?"

"It's not exactly our strong point, Winter. You know that."

A sigh escaped the lieutenant. She knew of the less than immaculate track record they had in that department. There was no telling how much Blackburn knew about the concept, but it was worth asking the specialist. In the end, it was her pride that was making her obstinate at the thought of consulting him. She shook her head.

"I'll be honest, Sir. I don't like him, but if you feel that he can help us, then it's worth talking to him." She pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Think of this as a learning point," he said as he stepped into the elevator. "Having a sense of humility is always good. Back when I started as an officer, my commander told me to talk with the enlisted. Odds are the privates will know more than an officer when they start."

"With all due respect, Sir, I'll believe it when I see it."

Ironwood only chuckled at the hardheaded lieutenant and stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened. Upon entering the room he caught sight of Glynda and Ozpin who were having a discussion. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man with spiky black hair that had some streaks of grey in it and frowned just a bit. He was not expecting him to be there.

"Ah, it's good to see you, James." Ozpin turned his focus to him.

"Oz," he said with a nod. "Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk."

"It was no trouble. I needed to talk with you, anyway."

James glanced back at the man in the corner who only grunted before taking a swig from his flask. He then looked back at Winter who gave the man a nasty glare before returning her attention to Ozpin.

"Let's get on with it, Jimmy. We're on a tight schedule," said the man in the corner.

Ironwood did not acknowledge the man and kept his attention on Ozpin. Arguing with Qrow would only make things difficult and cause unnecessary tension. He fixed his collar and after finding his words, spoke.

"Winter and I went through those files we recovered from the White Fang compound last week and got a lead on a target that can lead us to Queen and Lotus."

"Is this a guarantee?" Glynda rose a brow.

"As of now it's the best we have. Since this individual does not have direct contact with either of them, he is not a tier one priority. He is a low level target who is being tasked out by a high member inside the White Fang to relay messages between contacts for Queen and Lotus."

Ozpin folded his hands and furrowed his brow at his old friend's words. If what he said was true, it would be in their best interest to act on the intelligence that they had. The capture of a low level target could be just as beneficial as a higher ranked individual. He brought his mug to his lips and sipped some coffee as he mulled the decision over.

"Let's say I let you go after this man." He looked up at the general. "Do you have a plan of action to capture him and not cause a panic?"

Ironwood nodded back and reached inside of his coat to pull out a folded up piece of paper. He set the paper on Ozpin's desk and slid it to him so he could read it. The old headmaster adjusted his glasses and unfolded the paper and his eyes darted back and forth as he read it. Silence filled the large office and was only broken by the creaks of the giant gears throughout the room.

Ozpin's brown eyes peeked over the paper after he finished reading it. The plan that James and Winter had come up with was decent, but he was hesitant on granting them permission. Counterinsurgency was a near outdated concept with the Atlas Military, having not been used since the Great War. However, given the fact he wanted to keep the public at ease with everything going on, it was not leaving him with much of a choice. Counterinsurgency gave James permission to send his men in to blend in with the civilians to not draw attention to military or Huntsmen activity. If things went wrong, it looked like an isolated incident between civilians and it cost them the lead target.

He drew a deep breath with his nose and let out a sigh. After sipping his coffee again he looked back up at his old friend.

"Very well. But I feel I should remind you of something," he said

"Of course," Ironwood replied, arms behind his back.

"The council put you in charge of the security detail here in Vale until the end of the Vytal Festival, but you are still a guest in my kingdom. I expect reports from you after every recon you conduct in the city and when you plan to apprehend this messenger. We don't need to make a mess of things before the start of the Vytal Festival and cause a panic."

"You have my word, Oz."

Ironwood ignored the scoff from Qrow and glanced back at Winter. The lieutenant took a step forward and cleared her throat.

"How can I help you, Miss Schnee?" Ozpin leaned forward.

"I would like to request Team CFVY to help my team while we're in the field," she answered back.

"May I ask why you wish for them specifically? Surely there are others that can help you with that task?"

"There may be other teams capable of doing that, Sir. But since they helped my team last week and are more familiar with this, they are my best option to conduct these follow-up operations."

The headmaster nodded at her words and stood up. He walked to the window and gazed out towards the city as the sunset fell upon it.

"I will allow Team CFVY to accompany your team, Miss Schnee." He walked back to his desk. "What I told James applies to you, too. During those missions when Team CFVY is with you, you tell me everything that happened."

"Yes, Sir!"

Qrow sighed and gave a roll of his eyes. He unscrewed the cap from his flask and took another gulp from it.

"Now, can we get on with the more important topic?" He walked over to the desk.

"This is important too, Qrow!" Winter sneered back.

Her fierce eyes fell on the drunken Hunter and her knuckles cracked as her fists clenched again. The older man just gazed back at her with his red eyes and a cocky smirk spread across his lips.

"Don't flatter yourself, Ice Queen. There are things that are more important than your little target," he taunted her.

"I doubt that. Just like all the other nonsense that comes from that drunken tongue of yours," she replied coolly.

Qrow's smirk fell and his brow creased into a firm glare, causing her to smirk in return. Her victory was short-lived when she caught the stern eyes of Ironwood looking back. She quickly reverted to a state of attention and waited for the general's next command.

"Winter, I will talk with you back on the ship. You're dismissed for now."

"Yes, Sir!" She saluted.

She sent one last stony look back at Qrow who gave one equal to hers. The heels of her boots echoed with each step until she entered the elevator and turned around. Before the doors to the lift closed, Qrow flashed her another smirk and a wink. Her teeth ground together and her blood boiled as that cocky look festered on her mind. She hated that man with every fiber in her body.

* * *

Once the short tempered lieutenant had departed the room, the other three occupants sent Qrow a small glare which he shrugged off. The veteran Hunter had his own style to conduct business and held back no punches in doing so. Whenever he and Winter were in the same room, they were always at each other's throats and would have to be separated before the conversation could be carried out. In this case, she had been dismissed before it got out of hand. Not just to save them the headache, but because she did not have the clearance to know their next topic.

Ironwood pulled out his own flask and took a sip from it waiting for Qrow to speak. The man was back from his latest mission a lot sooner than he expected him and he was curious to know what the Hunter discovered.

"Did you find anything when you were out there?" Glynda asked Qrow.

"Bupkis." He shook his head. "We're nowhere closer than we were six months ago. Whoever attacked Amber has gone underground."

"Any ideas of who it was?"

"No. The ones who attacked her were good, but they still did not get all of her power."

Qrow leaned on a nearby pillar and ran a hand through his hair. He was not sure who Amber's assailants were. He was unable to get a clear view of their faces when he rescued her from them. They had been distorted to keep their identities a secret. Whoever they were, they were professionals and knew what they were doing in order to catch one of the maidens off guard to take part of her power.

"All I can say is that whoever attacked Amber will be coming for her again soon enough," he continued. "With her power split, it's only a matter of time before it begins calling for its missing half and it will bring her assailant to our doorstep."

What Qrow said was true and they all knew it. Never before had a maiden's power been split and when it actually happened, it worried them greatly. Whoever was trying to steal the powers of the maidens had ill intent and stood as a threat to the peace they worked so hard to maintain. The power of just one maiden had the potential to shift the balance of Remnant greatly and if it fell into the hands of one with cruel intent, it could be catastrophic.

Amber was barely being kept alive in a comatose state in the vault beneath the school. Not just to keep her and the secret of maidens hidden, but to keep her safe long enough to come up with a new plan on how to control the damage that had been done.

The fact Amber's attackers figured out her identity and were able to hunt her down left the possibility for the other maidens to be hunted down by the same people who attacked her. There was no telling how many people were in their group or if that was their true goal, but it could not be ruled out.

"Since we have no way of telling who the other maidens are, all we can do is wait for them to emerge," said Ozpin.

"Be that as it may, we still have to look at our problem here." Ironwood cast his eyes to the floor.

"And what do you propose we do, Jimmy?" Qrow challenged. "You know how complex those powers are and how they choose the next host."

The general said nothing and folded his arms. The powers of the maidens were passed on when the maiden died and it was made apparent that the transfer was more intimate. Whenever a maiden died, the one who was in her final thoughts was the next in line to receive the power, unless it was a man or an older woman. In their case if Amber were to die, the powers would go to the one who attacked her.

Ironwood cupped his chin and remained quiet. He now had a decision to make and it would land him in the hot seat, but it could also be the answer to their dilemma. A sharp breath escaped him and he looked up at Qrow and shook his head.

"That's… not entirely true." He pulled out his flask.

His response made Ozpin, Glynda and Qrow exchange looks before directing their eyes back at him. He shifted just a bit and took a sip from his flask.

"What are you not telling us?" Glynda narrowed her eyes.

Ironwood sighed and tucked his flask away.

"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura on a more scientific level. How it works, what it's made of, and how it can be used…" he began.

"Go on." Ozpin leaned forward in his chair.

"We've made a lot of progress on that front and we believe we found a way to harness it, so to speak."

He looked at his fellow Huntsmen and their expressions were ones of disbelief and shock. Glynda's owlish eyes bore into him and she crossed her arms.

"James, what are you trying to say?" She asked. "When you say Atlas found a way to harness Aura, what does that entail?"

"Imagine we chose a candidate to inherit Amber's power, but given her condition it cannot be received naturally. If we were to put Amber in a machine like the one we have her in now and we put our chosen candidate in another, I'm saying we can transfer her Aura to the other person," he replied.

An eerie silence filled the room and Ironwood felt all the eyes on him. The tension that filled the room was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. He could not blame the three of them looking at him incredulously. He was merely offering a choice, but there was no guarantee it would work. He himself was a little apprehensive about doing it, but they were running out of options. When Qrow took a step towards him with a hard glare he held his ground.

"You want us to take Amber's Aura and cram it into someone else?" He asked in a low tone. "I knew you had a couple of loose screws in that skull of yours, Jimmy. But now I can tell you're just insane."

"Qrow, I'm only offering an option. From what I can see, it may be our best bet!" He growled back.

"I don't see how a hair brained theory like this can work! Everyone's Aura is unique. Say we go through with this idea of yours. What happens to the person who receives Amber's Aura? Who's to say they'll be the same person or if they'll even be able to survive the process?"

Ironwood clenched his fists. He had no way to counter back the Hunter's questions. Everything he asked raised a valid point that he asked himself again and again as he read through the reports that his technicians had given him. There was no way to tell, but he would rather have someone on their side have control of Amber's power instead of waiting for the attacker to take the rest of it.

"I never said it was perfect. We have not tested it yet."

That was a downright lie on his end. Atlas was successful with the test when they achieved it with a synthetic being, but that would be revealed in due time.

"How do you plan to test it?" Qrow prompted as he pulled out his flask. "I can't imagine there are people lining up to be test dummies for this."

"Qrow…" Ozpin spoke up.

"Hey, I'm being honest here. Who would be willing to be the lab rat?"

"I believe you both made your points, so let it go."

Qrow just shrugged and tucked his hands into his pockets. He walked towards the elevator and called the lift back up.

"Where are you going?" Glynda asked him.

"I'm going to hit the road. Who knows, maybe I'll find the other maidens?" He smirked.

The elevator doors opened and he disappeared a second later as the doors closed, leaving Ozpin, Glynda and Ironwood in silence once again.

Seeing no point in continuing the conversation any further, Ironwood straightened his tie and marched for the elevator as it came back up. When the doors opened, Ozpin called out to him and stopped him in his tracks.

"If we were to default your plan, we would need some sort of proof to know it would work. Otherwise we would just play into our enemy's hands," said Ozpin.

Glynda rounded on the headmaster, completely stunned with the man's words.

"You aren't considering this, are you?" She peered down at him.

Ozpin's tired eyes turned and met hers. There was no flicker of doubt in those old, brown orbs. The headmaster's mind was made up and there was no changing it the second it was set.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Glynda. I'm not fond of the idea either, but we have to be willing to take chances and make sacrifices for the greater good." He got to his feet.

"I know, but it's just… wrong." She clenched her fists.

Her shoulders sagged when Ozpin put a comforting hand on her and she let out a sigh. She felt her fingers loosen and her fists unclenched and hung limply at her sides. She cast a sideways glance at James who still had his back to them, but was listening closely to what they said.

"If I have proof, you'd consider the thought?" Ironwood repeated.

"I may." Ozpin nodded back.

"I see. And Oz, thank you."

The general stepped into the elevator and he, too, departed the room leaving the headmaster and deputy headmistress alone.

* * *

Ironwood worked his way through the abandoned hallways of Beacon and back to the docks. His mind wandering between nostalgia of his old school days and his talk with Ozpin. Both kept him occupied and he failed to notice where he was walking. He barely registered the bump on his shoulder as he collided with someone.

"Sorry," the young man said.

"Pardon me. I was not paying attention," Ironwood answered the boy.

He spared a look to the young man he bumped into and perked up a bit when he saw the one he was looking for. Blackburn was picking up a small bottle of medication from the floor after it fell from his hand.

"Mister Blackburn, do you remember me?" He asked the specialist.

"General Ironwood, right?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Right."

"How can I help you, Sir?"

The general smiled and reached into his pocket to pull out one of his cards. Once he had the small card between his fingertips, he pulled it out and kept it hidden in his hand.

"Are you free to talk this week? I had a question that I would like some insight on from another military man like yourself," Ironwood replied.

"Well, I got tomorrow off. Would that work for you, Sir?" The specialist answered.

"Perfect. How does twelve hundred sound?"

"Works for me, Sir."

Ironwood held out his card for the specialist and he took it, giving it a once over. On it was his scroll number, title, and unit information. Before he left the specialist to carry on with his evening, Ironwood told him to call his number when he was ready to talk and he would arrange for a Bullhead to pick him up and bring him to his ship. He held out his hand for the specialist to shake and he could feel the strength flowing through the young man's hand when he gripped his.

"I look forward to our talk, Mister Blackburn."

* * *

 **So Blackburn gets to play teacher for the day and he gets to talk with a senior officer. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. For those of you wondering about the combatives bit in the chapter, I did get certified in level one and I referenced the level one book when writing that part of the chapter to keep it legitimate. However, they changed some aspects of the level one certification when I went through it, so if any fellow servicemen are reading this, I apologize ahead of time if what I wrote may be outdated. See you all next time.-CaptainPrice**


	8. Counterinsurgency

**Hey all, I'm back with another update. Since I don't get much reviews, I can only gauge the story's popularity by the follows and favorites which is pretty good for an OC story. To those of you who review, thanks a bunch, it means a lot. To show my appreciation for that, I will answer to some reviews that were left for me below. Now let's get to the chapter.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

 **Goldspark1: Well, I wanted to show he wasn't overpowered and how out of his league he was by doing that. Now, sorry to disappoint you, but Blackburn won't be powerless throughout the story because I want to follow laws of physics for Remnant. That means all people have Aura, in this case, this is also for a plot point. And no, don't worry, I was not going to give him maiden power. It's not possible anyway since he's a dude. Thanks for the review**

 **PitbullColin: Thanks. Wish I knew what you personally thought was great about it, but I'll take your word for it.**

* * *

Fox had his guard up and was staring down Coco who mimicked him. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he started to circle around his partner who followed him with each step. He was light on his feet and once he took another step, his foot pushed off the ground hard and he rocketed forth at the brunette. His fist came in for a light jab which she easily dodged and he followed up with a right hook that she ducked under.

"Gotta' be faster than that, Fox!" Coco smirked at her partner.

"I'm just getting started," he said with another punch.

Coco raised her arm and blocked the hit. She spun on her heel and gave a swift kick to the boy's chest, but he caught her foot. Her feet left the ground after he tossed her and she regained her balanced a second later. She sidestepped his next punch and her hand clutched onto his shoulder. Her other hand soon gripped his tricep and put them in the fifty-fifty position that they were taught earlier that day. She could feel Fox's tight grip on her as he wrestled out of the hold to take control of the fight. In a defensive maneuver, she drove her knee up and it collided with his chest.

The hand to hand specialist of her team let out a small grunt and shifted his feet. His leg extended behind her and he pushed forward. The two of them tripped back and he quickly rolled on top and trapped her arms in a pin. She squirmed under him to try and break free, but soon stopped and lightly tapped his leg for him to let up.

"Okay, not too shabby," she said.

"You got a tip?" He rolled his shoulder.

"Not really. Just try to be faster with your movements."

"I'll show you faster. Let's go another round."

"Let's take a quick break first."

The two partners hopped out of the sparring ring and over to the nearby bench. Fox plopped down and wiped the sweat from his face with his towel. He then opened his water bottle and took a long drink, letting the refreshing beverage sooth his parched throat. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Coco doing the same. The fashionista was really adamant about keeping her team on top of their training so they could remain one of the best in the academy, and he admired that about the girl. She was driven and she knew what she wanted in her life and was not afraid to take the steps needed to take it.

"You remember when we first met?" He took another sip from his bottle.

A light laugh came from the brunette.

"Yeah. You hardly spoke a word the night before the initiation," she replied.

"Wasn't much of a talker."

"And you are now?"

Fox smirked and shook his head. He was a guy of few words. His only input came when he could actually contribute to a conversation, otherwise he would just listen to what his friends would say. He had nothing against speaking, but he just hated making small talk when there was not much of a need for it. It just became awkward when someone ran out of some things to say.

"What I really remember that day is trying to get a rise out of you," Coco said.

"You said I had some good looking biceps, and then you slapped my butt and walked off." He looked at her.

"You were cold as ice. No reaction whatsoever."

"Heh, well, that would've given you control. Guys gotta' play it cool to be attractive."

Coco shrugged a bit and took another gulp of water. Her partner's words were true to an extent. Personally, she did not care if the guy was dominant or submissive, so long as he had a personality that clicked with hers. No matter how good looking the boy was, they had to meet her standards, which very few were able to do. And although she made a playful move on Fox when they first met and flirted with him from time to time, she would never have their relationship go beyond that of close friends.

"I got even the next day though." He smirked.

"I wouldn't say even. That was more of a one up attempt on your end," she teased back.

"I don't know. After I saved your ass from that Ursa, you couldn't take your eyes off me."

"No, no. It was your biceps, and it always will be."

He shoved her shoulder and she laughed as she slapped him back. He sipped his water again looked back at the boxing ring. When the brunette's laughter finally died down, he set the bottle back on the bench. As he dwelled on the memory of their first meeting, a small smile spread across his face.

Being a quiet person did not place him in the popular crowd when he was a kid. Kids found him to be weird from not doing so and did not make an effort to break him out of his shell. Sure, they would only talk to him when it was for school or if they wanted something, but it was never out of genuine curiosity. When Coco broke the ice with him that first day, he was fairly surprised that a girl like her would have done that. It did not take a genius to figure out she oozed popularity, but it was because of her that he even had friends in Beacon and he owed her a lot for that.

He would even go so far to say that he was quickly attracted to her when they met. It did not last long, though. He valued her too much as a friend to pursue anything more with her and feared that it could strain their relationship if they tried and it fell apart.

"Coco?" He spoke up.

"Yeah?" She looked at him.

"Have you ever thought about us being more than what we are?"

Her quizzical look asked him to elaborate and he humored the brunette.

"You know, more than friends?" He continued.

Coco's mouth opened in a small 'O' shape and closed soon after. Her brow furrowed and she fell silent as she looked at the ground.

"It's not like I haven't thought about it," she replied. "Why? Have you?"

"Yeah, I did." He nodded.

"So, what kept you from making a move on me?"

His response was a small shake of his head.

"Because you were my first friend. I didn't want to lose you over something I was not sure would last if we tried to work it out."

Coco blinked and turned her gaze to the ground. A creeping warmth graced her cheeks, but soon vanished and a smile formed on her face. She was not expecting that response from the copper haired boy and was actually flattered to hear it. Both of them were in the same boat with their reason for not exploring their relationship any further. If circumstances were different and had they not been teammates, she would have been willing to give it a chance. Fox was kind, a great partner, and his scars only added to his tough look. Any girl would be lucky to land him.

"What about you? What was your reason?" He asked.

She only shook her head and turned her brown orbs back to him.

"Same as yours." She got to her feet. "So, I'll do the next best thing by being your wing woman."

"That's one challenge you'll never win." He smirked at her.

"Fox, trust me, if you actually opened your mouth and talked to girls like you do me, they'd all over you."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

He got to his feet and climbed back into the ring and Coco did the same.

"Tell you what. If I beat you, you have to talk to a girl that catches your eye." She raised her guard.

"And if I win?" He stretched his arms.

"I'll tell you the name of a girl that has her eye on you."

She barely dodged his punch and looked up at him with somewhat wide eyes. She was barely able to see him move. His teeth poked out in a grin and she returned it. Motivation was a powerful incentive for someone and she mentally patted her back at succeeding with Fox.

* * *

Blackburn was speechless when he was escorted down the corridor of the massive ship to Ironwood's office. He was sure that the ship itself was bigger than any of the aircraft carriers that the Navy had. Complete with heavy firepower and a majestic appearance, it was easy to get distracted by the giant vessel. The interior was very similar to that of the Star Destroyers from the Star Wars saga. A large bridge overlooking the front of the ship, endless halls and troops packed it as well.

However, if there was one thing that caught his eye, it was the robots that were posted around the large vessel. The tall, white automatons stared straight ahead as they walked by, not even sparing them the slightest glance. Each robot was holding a high powered rifle, ready to terminate any threat that caught their attention. In a way, they were the perfect soldier. They felt no pain. No fear, no doubt. Their only focus was the mission and to succeed in completing it. Yet they were expendable and could only do what they were programed to do.

He broke from his thoughts when his guide turned another corner. There was no way he'd be able to navigate his way through the ship without his escort, who happened to be the last person he wanted to see.

Winter Schnee was silent and briskly led him through the ship, not giving much time to take in the scenery. Her brow was set in a firm crease and her heels clicked with each step she took. The young lieutenant was wound so tight and a major contrast compared to Lieutenant Coen. Granted Coen was a little like her at first when he joined the unit to establish his commanding presence, he soon relaxed and showed he was a very personal kid. He did not have that wave of entitlement like a lot of officers had and was always honest with the men. He was always asking his men questions, talking with them, and doing everything he could to be a good platoon leader.

Soldiers had different views on what an officer should be like, but for him, Coen fit it like a glove. He took care of them as best as he could and although he made mistakes, he did everything he could to learn from them and improve to ensure he did not make them again.

"We're here," said Winter.

He looked up and saw the large double doors to the office. The lieutenant gave two hard knocks that echoed around the empty hallway. She opened the door a second later after the general gave her permission and they entered the room.

Ironwood's office was not overly large, but it did remind him of some senior officers' offices. He had a wooden desk that had a neat stack of papers on top and a small terminal to place his scroll to work. Military décor rested on his desk and shelves consisting of old unit patches, pictures and challenge coins. Book shelves were resting against the wall behind him, stacked with endless knowledge. It was more modest compared to other offices he had seen, but one thing that caught his eye was the small liquor cabinet. Not even the general was able to escape the go to beverage of most military men.

Ironwood turned around from the window and gave him and Winter a light smile.

"Right on time. I like that." He reached out with his hand.

"We always make time for a general, Sir." Blackburn shook his hand.

He sat down after shaking the general's hand and Winter did so as well. The young lieutenant sat up straight in her chair and waited for Ironwood to sit down so they could carry on with their arrangement.

Ironwood went to his liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured it into a glass. He then put the bottle away and sat down in his chair. He took a quick sip from his glass and cast his eyes to the young lieutenant and former specialist.

"So, how are you adjusting to Remnant so far?" Ironwood asked.

"I'm doing about as well as I can," Blackburn answered back. "It's thrown my perception of reality for a loop, but I'm adapting pretty quick."

"That's good. I'd expect as much from a former soldier."

He took a sip from his whiskey and was taken aback by how smooth it was as it traversed down his throat. He'd been saving it for years in hopes of sharing it with old friends, but that was not happening in the near future.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Sir?" Blackburn spoke up.

"First, I just want to note that this will relate to what happened last week when Lieutenant Schnee found you in that White Fang compound," said Ironwood.

"All ears, Sir."

"The Atlas Military is currently serving as a security detail here in Vale due to an incident we called the Breach not too long ago. What the public does not know is that it was the White Fang that caused it. They were led by a man named Roman Torchwick who we apprehended that same day. Since then, crime in Vale has stopped almost completely."

The young specialist absorbed the words of the general and leaned back in his chair.

Ironwood continued his comment after giving him time to mull it over.

"With the White Fang going underground, we started to do reconnaissance operations to try and see what their next move is. They are just a small part of something bigger, and we want get the jump on them before they strike again."

"And that led to that raid last week, right?" He asked.

Ironwood gave him a small nod and sipped his glass again. The whiskey swirled around as he stirred the glass with his hand. His eyes then cast to Winter who relaxed just a bit in her chair and she turned her gaze to him.

"During the raid we found some files regarding two individuals known as Queen and Lotus. Our analysts have assessed that they are using a courier to relay messages back and forth in vale to not draw attention. What we do know is that Queen is the mastermind behind the Breach and the one pulling the strings on Lotus," she said.

"Can you identify the courier? It should be just an easy snatch and grab, right?" Blackburn asked.

A grimace marred Winter's face and her cold eyes bore into the floor. If only it were that easy.

"That's the reason we wanted to talk to you," Ironwood answered for her.

"What can I do? No offense, Sir, but I'm not sure how I can really help you." He frowned.

"I would like to know how the U.S. Army handled counterinsurgency operations. We have done those operations before, and as much as I hate to admit it, we're not too successful in that. Can you tell us what you did?"

Blackburn blinked and cupped his chin. He could go on and on about some of the operations that he got to experience.

"Well, the U.S. Army is trained to handle two types of warfare, being conventional and asymmetrical. Conventional being force on force with both military powers having close to the same capabilities to engage each other on the battlefield. Then you have asymmetrical warfare, which is something we've been going against for the last fifteen years now. Asymmetrical warfare is going against an enemy that does not possess the same capabilities, but they are able to engage us effectively by using tactics to exploit weaknesses we have with their current capabilities."

"I see. And this asymmetrical style falls under counterinsurgency?" Ironwood replied.

"Yeah. We have our own SF that do those operations to find the right guys. When we went back to Afghanistan and Iraq we would simply try to hunt down some big HVIs using the intelligence we gathered and from what civilians told us. But we soon got in our heads that the whole kick doors and kill bad guys routine was not doing us any favors and did more harm than good. So, we went with the win hearts and minds approach and let SF handle it for the most part."

Ironwood sipped his drink once again and silently mulled over what Blackburn had told him. In truth, the U.S. Army sounded very similar to their style of combat. The Atlas military was armed to the teeth with the most high tech technology and weaponry courtesy of the SDC. Should any force try to encounter them, they would need to have similar capabilities to engage them head on. However, in terms of the asymmetrical warfare aspect, they had not handled a threat like that in a long time. With such little experience in fighting enemies with weaker capabilities, they had not paid it much mind.

"One thing I'll say here is that you appear to have more air superiority than the Air Force. Not to mention your cybernetic soldiers on the ship here. We don't have that kind of technology. Ours is not advanced to make giant hover ships or robotic soldiers," the specialist continued.

"Surely that can't be true?" Winter rose a brow.

"We have similar technology to an extent, but we rely on drones to do our work. We got dozens of those flying all over the world involved in a bunch of proxy wars."

"Drones?"

"Yeah. These things are very useful on the battlefield today. A UAV that can conduct missions in place of troops. Hell, they are capable of sending an express cruise missile up an enemy's ass from miles away."

Winter's brow furrowed at the coarse language that he used in the presence of her commander and was about to speak, but Ironwood beat her to the punch.

"Relying on these drones to eliminate threats must be very convenient. It allows you reduce the reliance on infantry and can mitigate potential problems in your operating area."

Blackburn gave a lighthearted shrug. True, drones did allow that luxury, but it also had limitations like all technology and had to abide by the ROE at the end of the day.

"Sir, if I can speak freely, I'd have to say that it is helpful and harmful."

"You were just praising it a moment ago," Winter remarked.

"I just said they were helpful on the battlefield. I'm actually concerned with how much we rely on technology in our everyday lives."

It was a hard truth. Technology became outdated and replaced so quickly that it was not even funny. Simple things that could be handled by people was now being done by technology. They had become so dependent on technology and electricity that only few realized the potential threat that came with it. An entire race depending on two sources to survive chose to live in ignorance with what could happen if it was taken from them. Chaos would ensue and would only leave destruction in its wake.

"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked him.

"I'm saying that we have become so reliant on this stuff that we would become savages if it was taken from us. Take away that electricity or technology that we depend on and we are a race that will soon turn on one another just to survive. All concept of basic survival and skills our ancestors used to survive in the world before we were born would practically be forgotten, save for the few who prepared or thought about that particular scenario playing out."

Ironwood and Winter shared a look and then turned their attention back to the specialist.

"Sir, have you ever asked yourself what would happen if your enemy stole the keys to your technology? What could happen if your very weapons were turned against you?"

It was a trick question for the general, but he nodded to answer the young man before him. It was an unlikely chance for it to happen, but not impossible. Atlas received its weapons from the SDC and they were top of the line in terms of network security and reliability. With the SDC being a big manufacturer all around Remnant and no other opposing business to truly threaten them, it was trusted by Huntsmen, militia and soldier alike.

The only chance of their weapons turning on them would be from an insider threat. One who would want to watch the world burn. His grip tightened on his glass and he shuddered at the thought. Someone turning their own weapons on them and doing the exact opposite of what they were designed to do was horrific.

"That's where men like us come in. We'll always be needed. No matter what technology is created, no matter what it can do, man will always be better than it," said Blackburn.

"Sobering thoughts aside, we should get back to the reason we're having this conversation," said Winter.

"Right, sorry."

Their discussion was soon back on track. Both Ironwood and Winter were revealing what they could to Blackburn and were careful to not mention classified bits. They presented the collection plan they set up in an attempt to track down Shadow and learn his pattern of life before they went to make a move on him. For the most part, the specialist was impressed with what they had shone him.

During his time as a cavalry scout, Blackburn spent countless hours in the field doing reconnaissance and setting up OPs. He and his squad would navigate through the difficult terrain, find routes to use, watch enemies and if given the green light, engage them with fire missions or by assaulting their position. This was his profession and he was damn good at doing the job. He had the intelligence to gather information and provide it in reports for the S2 down range, and as a bonus he got to kill bad guys on the side. It was a win-win for him any day.

Both Ironwood and Winter's idea to use a newly formed SF team to observe the hot spots that Shadow frequented was well done and he would recommend it. Given their desire to keep the public's concern down, it was the best option. Nothing would be too suspicious about soldiers carrying out their mission so long as they blended in with the people around them. Should things go south, it could easily be looked upon as a scuffle between gangs. Far less concerning than uniformed soldiers making a scene and getting put on the news.

He gently slid the report back on Ironwood's desk and nodded at him.

"Do you have any suggestions that we may have overlooked?" Ironwood asked.

He shook his head. "No. So long as you blend in with the environment, this will work."

"I see. Thank you, Mister Blackburn."

"But one thing…"

The specialist's gaze shifted between him and Winter. His eyes were now hardened and carried a serious vibe with them. It was one that the general had seen before on men he served with. One in particular who happened to be his oldest friend and rival.

"When you figure out this guy's routine and you have the chance to grab him, do it. Don't let him go."

With that said, Blackburn stood up with Ironwood and Winter doing the same. His eyes remained steely as he shook hands with them. When Winter let go of his hand, she nodded for the door and they went to it.

"Mister Blackburn, hold on for a second." Ironwood got up.

It did not take long for him to come up with his decision, but after his talk with the specialist, he felt it was the best option he had. Once he reached Blackburn and Winter, he asked the lieutenant to let them talk alone for a minute. He did not miss the frown on her face, but gave a curt nod when she stepped outside the door and shut it behind her.

"Sir?" Blackburn looked at him.

"How have you enjoyed that teaching job Ozpin gave you?" He asked.

"It's not bad. I like being able to help people."

"How is it when you train with the students? I know you don't have Aura like we do, but do you find that limits your ability to truly help?"

There was a small flicker in the specialist's eye when he asked him. The young man did feel restricted in his goal to help the students. After all, unless he had an Aura of his own, he could only teach them so much before his usefulness ran out. No soldier should have to feel useless and seeking purpose in life. Especially after they gave up part of theirs to serve their country and protect those they loved. For the general, nothing hurt him more than seeing his brethren suffer after sacrificing so much.

"What if I were to tell you that I could fuse you with Aura?" He rested a hand on his shoulder.

He felt the young man's shoulders raise a bit and his eyes turned to meet his. The look on his face was one of uncertainty and disbelief.

"You can give me an Aura?" Blackburn replied.

"Yes." He nodded back.

The bottom of his stomach became tight as a knot formed in it. He did not tell Blackburn the real reason he could give it to him, but this was the opportunity he needed to prove to Ozpin his solution with Amber. What better way to do it than with a soldier who wanted to help people at the end of the day?

"Is there any side effects to it?" The specialist asked.

"Our R&D teams have only confirmed side effects on those who have Aura. We have yet to see what happens to one who has none."

Blackburn cast his eyes to the ground and his brow furrowed in thought. Not wanting to bog the man's brain down further, he gave him one last pat on the shoulder.

"Listen. Think it over and let me know, okay?"

"Yeah. I will, Sir." He answered back.

Ironwood opened the door and Blackburn exited a second later with Winter leading him back to the hangar.

* * *

Ruby was searching every inch of her team's dorm. She chewed her lip and dashed to the other side leaving a trail of petals behind her. Her silver eyes darted under the bed and her hands pulled out one item after the next and flung them around the room. This was not good. Not good at all! She was so lost in her search that she barely registered Weiss' shout of protest when she entered the room with Blake and Yang.

"Ruby, what are you doing?" She strode to her partner.

"He's gone!" The younger girl answered back.

"Who's gone?"

Weiss grabbed Ruby's legs and pulled her out from under the bed. She stood her up and shook her a bit.

"Who's gone? And why did you trash our room?" Weiss asked, a noticeable twitch in her eye.

She fell back when Ruby shot to the bathroom in a burst of speed and yanked back the shower curtain.

"Zwei's gone!" Ruby hurried back into the room.

Blake, Weiss and Yang exchanged looks and began to help their leader search for the small dog. Pets were allowed on campus, but could not be unsupervised. Even though Zwei was well behaved, he did have a mischievous side that reared its head whenever he got bored and wanted to have fun. The last thing they needed was for him to trash a part of the school or cause trouble with another team.

"Didn't you lock the door?" Blake picked her books off the floor.

"Yeah!" Ruby plopped down on Weiss' bed.

"We didn't run out of food, did we?" Yang opened the closet.

Her lilac eyes fell upon a decent sized stack of canned food. Plenty of it remained. She shut the door and scratched the back of her head. The dog was smart enough to open his own food, and he was more than capable of escaping the room if he wanted to leave.

"Well, look, so long as we don't make a big deal out of this, I think it'll turn out fine in the end," said Yang, "I mean, he is a dog. Maybe he just wanted to run around outside? He does that all the time back home."

"I know, but still…" Ruby shook her head.

"Look, if Yang says he'll be fine, then he'll be fine." Weiss folded her arms. "Now, help us clean this mess. Our room is a pigsty because of your little spaz attack."

Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her head and hopped off the bed to grab some clothes that she tossed out earlier. As she put the clothes back in the drawer, her mind wandered back to Zwei. She calmed down a bit with her sister's words, but she silently hoped her friend would not get himself into any trouble.

* * *

 **So there's the chapter. Not long like the last, but I did what I wanted by showing Blackburn's experience with counterinsurgency as a cavalry scout and Ironwood's hope to use him as the proven test subject for Ozpin. So drop a review and let me know what you thought. Otherwise, just stay posted for the next update, which will probably come at the end of June since I got AT coming up and will be busy. Thanks a bunch for your continued support.**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **HVI: High Valued Individual (Not to be confused with High Valued Target "HVT")**

 **OP: Observation Post**

 **R &D: Research and Development **

**ROE: Rule of Engagement**

 **S2: Intelligence staff.**

 **SF: Special Forces**

 **UAV: Unmanned Air Vehicle.**


	9. Recon

**Back with an update folks. Thanks again for the continued support, follows and favorites. Please continue to let me know what you think as you read so I can improve. Happy birthday, America!**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

 **Goldspark1: Well, I would advise you to go back and read the second half of chapter seven where Ozpin, Glynda and Qrow are talking about the whole subject because that's how it'll be done.**

 **Edward Snowcone: Here you go.**

 **OnesidedBias: Thank you. Now, I don't really have an update schedule established because I've been very busy. I guess I will say bi-weekly for now. So starting from here, July 18th will be the next update for the story.**

 **AZalmega: Thanks for the compliment, but can you go into detail next time when you make a statement like that? I honestly felt the dialogue wasn't too bad and felt in character, but if they weren't in your mind can you suggest things to make it sound more so?**

* * *

Blackburn stirred in his bed and let out a muffled grunt. It was cold to the touch, almost wet. He turned his head to face the opposite wall, but was again greeted with the same feeling. A small trace of cool snot and a gentle prod was all it was, but it was enough to make him nudge the feeling away.

"Axel, I'll feed you later…" he murmured.

After rolling over in his bed, realization hit him and his eyes snapped open. He quickly shot up and glanced over to the side where he felt the wakeup call. It was the same way he was woken up back home by his German Shepherd and it filled with him shock and hope. It was soon snuffed out when his eyes fell not on Axel, but a smaller dog. He frowned when he looked down at the panting pooch. It stared back and tilted its head in curiosity.

He looked around his room and saw the door to his office ajar and his brow furrowed in thought. Ever since he was a kid, he would always shut his door when he went to sleep and there was no way he left it open before turning in earlier. The dog barked again to get his attention and he cast his eyes back down to the small corgi.

 _"Where did you come from?"_ He swung his feet out of the bed.

The cool carpet graced the bottom of his feet and he trudged over to the door. Poking his head out to see that the door to his office was also open, just enough for a small animal to get in. He sighed and crouched by the dog who continued panting as it looked back at him.

"Okay Cujo, time to leave." He scooped the dog up.

A gritty sensation ran up the side of his face as the dog's tongue licked him and he shook his head. Ignoring the unpleasant feeling, he marched to the front door of his office and heard heels clicking in the hall. They got louder as he drew closer to his door and by the time he reached it, he was greeted by Glynda Goodwitch.

It was not weird to see a teacher roaming the halls late at night to do a small sweep of the school to make sure students were following curfew. In fact, the blonde woman appeared to have been moving with a purpose as if she was looking for something and it did not take long for him to put two and two together. His eyes flickered down to the dog in his arms and then to the spectacled woman before him. Her eyes were fixated on the dog.

"You lookin' for this guy?" He bounced the dog in his arms.

"As a matter of fact, I was. Pets can't run around the school unsupervised." Glynda pushed her glasses up.

"I'm sure there's a good story behind that rule."

A small sigh escaped her and she gave a curt nod.

"I didn't figure you to be a dog person." He set the furry pet down.

"Oh, no," she shook her head. "I'm actually allergic to dogs"

"Oh, so you're a crazy cat lady?"

The glare that she leveled him with would have made Carlson proud, maybe even scare the man. Ever since he started working with Glynda, he had tried to make the woman laugh, but she had been impervious to his sense of humor. If he was back with his unit it would not have taken long for one of his friends to laugh at him being a smart ass. This woman was an ice cube and she stopped him cold.

"Are you calling me crazy, Mister Blackburn?" She asked with a quirk of her brow.

"No. Sorry, I was just trying to make you laugh." He quickly denied and shifted a bit.

The woman sighed and pushed her glasses up once more and folded her arms. Her eyes fell on the dog that was now sitting patiently beside him and gazing up at her with his big eyes. Looking at her options, she could either have Blackburn help her return the dog to RWBY's dorm or have him keep the dog overnight until the little reaper could come pick him up herself.

After mulling the thought over, she looked back at her assistant who was patiently waiting for her response.

"Well, this dog belongs to Miss Rose. I say you keep him here overnight and let her know so she can come and retrieve him," she said.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to take him to her right now?" He challenged.

"Well, you could. But let's look at it like this. It's late at night, you're waking four girls up from their beauty sleep just to deliver a dog to them. You don't have Aura, so I can't say for sure how it'll end for you if you wake them up."

Blackburn rose a brow and took a step back. He could see the wicked look in Glynda's eye as she gave him his choices. After his recent bout with Yang, he was in no hurry to get torn to pieces by four angry girls.

"The again, you can simply let the dog stay for one night and give him back in the morning when they are well rested," she continued.

"Right…" he scratched his chin.

"Or is that little dog too much for you to handle?"

Then it clicked in his head. A small smirk formed on his face and he could see one on hers as well.

"Okay, he can crash here for now," he said with a shrug.

"Good. Now, get some sleep. It's your turn to teach tomorrow." She turned on her heel.

Glynda vanished around the corner a moment later and he shut the door behind him. He looked down where the dog was, only to find him gone. His ears were able to pick up a light creak from his bed and he trudged back into his room. The corgi had jumped on his bed and was tracing circles to get comfortable.

"I hope you don't shed." He climbed back in his bed.

As much as he loved dogs, he never let Axel sleep on his bed unless it was storming outside. Dog hair was difficult to get out of bed sheets whenever it got caught in them. At least it was only for one night.

He rubbed his eyes and fell back to his pillow. The mattress shifted under him as the corgi got up and moved closer to the pillows. He could see the small shadow walk in a circle a few times before nestling down beside him. His hand then reached up and rested on top of the dog's head and gently scratched it. His fingers trailed down and felt a small collar around his neck.

The moonlight fell on the tag just enough for him to read the name of his new companion.

"Goodnight, Zwei."

* * *

The city of Vale was very lively for the midday reconnaissance team that was stationed throughout the city and keeping overwatch on known areas of interest where Shadow frequented. Winter got permission from Ozpin to use Team CFVY for the mission and briefed them their objective before they stepped off to stakeout the target areas.

It was to be a simple mission. Five teams of two would patrol the city to watch the sites that Shadow was known to visit whenever he was suspected to relay messages for Queen and Lotus. According to the log book they recovered from the White Fang compound, Shadow came into Vale every two weeks with a message with today being the delivery day. With that thought in mind, the recon teams were watching for their suspected target to see if he would indeed appear like he had in according to the log book. However, they were presented with some issues. The biggest was that they could not confirm Shadow was on the premises unless they got a visual up close to identify the scar on his face. The second was the man had too many locations he could go and they could easily miss him, which in turn prompted them to shift positions every two hours to try and cover each site once per mission. In short, they had their work cut out for them.

Velvet rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn with her hand. The short notice on their late night mission gave her and her teammates little sleep, much to the chagrin of Coco who was in a bit of a foul mood from it. A small giggle escaped her and she leaned back against the billboard she and Yatsuhashi were using to overlook the car dealership. It was their sixth spot in twelve hours and they were rotating sleep shifts to stay vigilant.

She folded her arms and let her legs stretch out before her. Her eyes and ears drooped just a bit from exhaustion, but she had more than enough energy to finish her shift before it was Yatsuhashi's turn again. In the meantime she had been thinking about the collection plan that Winter had briefed them hours before and although it allowed them time to cover most of the spots Shadow was supposed to be, it still left the chance to miss him in the twenty-four hour window that they had. Despite Lieutenant Schnee's best efforts, she was only able to gather enough personnel to man at least five positions at a given time. Five locations and eleven of them were unmanned and gave a high chance for them to miss their target.

Although the two hour shift was to mitigate their time so they had a chance to man every position throughout the day at least once, it did not solve their problem. It would all come down to chance and it was something that Winter voiced her displeasure about.

Velvet offered the suggestion of having one person man a position for the same amount of time that way they could increase their chances, but it was shot down because of their lack of sleep as well as a manpower issue. Winter wanted each of them to have a partner to back them up which was understandable, but it was at least worth mentioning to the young officer.

Her head bobbed and she immediately sat upright. To clear the sleep that was creeping into her, she got to her feet and stretched again.

"Getting tired?" Yatsuhashi asked.

Velvet directed her attention to her partner who she thought was sleeping to see him looking up at her. She smiled and shook her head which made the giant swordsman smirk.

"You were never good at lying," he remarked.

"Oh, and you are?" She teased back.

"Not at all. But at least I admit it."

She only rolled her eyes and leaned against the railing. The warm spring air was pleasant and deadly at the same time. It carried the friendly reminder that summer was on the way, but its heat was enough to trap one in a peaceful slumber if they tried to relax.

"Yatsu, can I ask you something?" She glanced at him.

"Of course." He nodded back.

She had been mulling over this question for a while, but never found the right time to ask. Now that she had some time to kill and an opportunity to stay awake, she was not going to let it slip.

"If you were this Queen or Lotus person, what would your next move be?"

Her partner blinked and closed his eyes as he thought about her question. She could see the relaxed, yet focused look on his face. It was the same one he had whenever he was meditating or even planning out his next move in a game of chess.

"I can't say," he finally answered back. "It's one thing to make an assumption, but you really don't know what a person is like until you fight them."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just that. If you talk to the same people every day to get a feel for them, it's easy to make an assumption to how they may act overall, but that's no different for someone you don't know. You don't know how they are once they're not around you. It's easy to act a certain way around others and then drop it once you're alone or around people you trust. When you fight someone, you can see their true self in the way they battle."

Velvet absorbed her partner's words and bit her lip. It was not the first time she heard words along those lines, but she personally did not think that was true. There were people that were genuinely kind hearted like Ruby Rose, and there were people that were jerks like Cardin Winchester, and the way both of them fought during class did not suggest their personalities were a simple front.

"Well, let's try this then. Humor me and pretend you're weren't my teammate," she began.

"Alright." Yatsuhashi stood up.

"If you just met me today and we finished talking, what would your first impression of me be?"

She knew this would be difficult to answer because of their relationship as teammates and he already knew how she acted, but she hoped to eliminate the bias thought with her own challenge. It seemed as though it hit Yatsuhashi in the way she thought it would if the way his brow furrowed was any indication.

"I'll give you my initial thoughts about you when we first met, because it would not be any different if we weren't on the same team," he replied.

"Okay," she said with a nod.

"When we first met, I thought you were very reserved and timid. You didn't talk unless someone talked to you, you didn't seem confident with yourself, and you looked as though you didn't belong here."

Velvet said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"But then as time went on, I noticed your personality flipped in terms of your studies and when you fought. When I saw you fight that first time and win using your Semblance, I would not have guessed that someone shy like you was capable of that. The way you moved and the way you attacked was timed perfectly and you proved to me that you were no pushover and had the talent to possibly be the best fighter in our year."

She felt a creeping warmth in her cheeks and turned away, a little embarrassed by praise her partner gave her. She always prided herself with her studies, but only a handful of people really knew what she was capable of with her Semblance since she did her best to keep it on the down low. The fact that Yatsuhashi hinted that she was potentially the best fighter in their year filled her with a new wave of assurance. Not cocky, but pure confidence that came when one was capable of backing it up.

"So going back to our original conversation, unless I fought Queen or Lotus personally, I don't think I could give a good prediction on what they would do next. Since I fought you, Coco and Fox before, I would be able to say I know what you all would do if any of you were them," he finished with a stretch.

"And what would I do?" She smirked.

"You? You would lure them close with your shyness and then you would strike like the deadly rabbit you are." He grinned back.

Velvet laughed and lightly slapped his shoulder, garnering a laugh from the giant. Their sleepiness was now forgotten and replaced with a new wave of energy after their little chat. She turned her attention back to the car dealership and her eyes did another scan. Just as she was about to take her gaze away, she caught sight of a tall man getting out of an old car parked outside the entrance to the dealership. He was wearing a dark purple hoodie and torn jeans.

Her hand quickly went down to her camera and brought it up to her eyes. She turned the lens and zoomed in to try and get a look at his face, but he turned at the last second. She cursed under her breath and instead zoomed out to snap a quick picture of the car.

"Do you see him?" Yatsuhashi asked as he squinted ahead.

"I'm not sure if it's him, but it looks suspicious," she said, tucking her camera away.

"I'll let Winter know."

She quickly put a hand on his arm and shook her head. It would not be wise to let Winter know they had eyes on the target if they could not get confirmation. There was only one way to get what they needed and it seemed to dawn on her partner. He knew exactly what she was thinking and was no doubt ready to back her up.

"Do you want me to go in with you?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head. "I can get in and out without drawing much attention. The only way you could come is if you left your sword behind."

"You're right."

"I won't be long. I'll let you know if I need help."

"How?"

"Pull out your scroll for a second."

She pulled her scroll out and dialed Yatsuhashi's number. Once he answered it, she had him put it on speaker mode and she tucked hers into her jacket. This was just a precaution and should not be necessary since she would not engage their target unless given the order by Winter, but it did not hurt to have a contingency plan set up. Because at the end of the day, it would be that one time that it happened.

* * *

Velvet was smart enough to leave Yatsuhashi a word for him to act on being "Speed" before taking off. She hurried across the road and snapped a picture of the license plate of the old junker car their suspect got out of. Her march carried her inside the dealership and she did a quick scan of the showroom.

There was nothing out of the ordinary that she could make note of. She could see the desks of salesmen placed around the store. In the center of the room was three vehicles. One sports car, one sedan, and one truck. Off in the northern corner was the manager's office. Then the hall trailing to the back led to the service shop. She was unable to locate the hooded man, which tipped her off he was in the service department, possibly meeting with one of Lotus or Queen's contacts.

She did not want to risk going to the back with no vehicle and drawing attention to herself. Thankfully her prayers were answered when a salesman saw her and made his way over to help. She did not know much about cars, but she could stall the man long enough to wait for her target to come back into view. Thinking fast with an inner pep talk, she smiled broadly at the salesman.

"How can I help you today, Miss?" The salesman asked.

"I'm just looking really," she said with a shrug.

"Oh? Is there a specific car you had in mind?"

Velvet rocked back and forth on her feet and snuck a glance towards the service department. If she could just get a glimpse inside to see the target she could contact Winter for the next move. The cars near the department was the sports car and the truck. She grimaced a bit and strode towards the sports car first and walked around the back of it. Down the hall she could see through the glass, but there was no sign of the target. Just cars that were on lifts and being worked on by technicians.

"It's not for me, personally. My boyfriend is looking for a new car and I thought I'd just help him out," she lied as she stopped by the trunk.

The salesman smiled and nodded knowingly.

"Ah, that would make sense. But you definitely have a good eye." The salesman opened the passenger door to the coupe.

"Thank you. What can you tell me about this one?"

Velvet climbed into the passenger seat and gave the coupe a once over. Although she was not one for cars, she had to admire the sporty and masculine look to it. Two door coupe, black body, leather seats, manual shift. It would be a no brainer for any car loving man to go with it, but she was only half paying attention to the words coming out of the salesman's mouth. Her eyes darted to the wing mirror, but the man had not returned from the back.

"This two door is latest model and without a doubt the fastest car on the market. She's expensive, but if you like cars or racing, I would highly recommend it." The salesman turned to her.

"How fast can it go?" Velvet asked.

"She can hit one ninety easily."

Playing along, she let out a long whistle. Fast as an understatement if what the salesman was saying was true, it was one that only few would be able to handle with ease.

"Is your boyfriend a racer?"

"Not really. He likes muscle cars, but he doesn't like to race much because two of his last cars got wrecked pretty badly," she answered back.

"No matter. There's more models like this one out in the parking lot that are cheaper, just lacking the speed."

"I'll keep that in mind. He's not opposed to trucks, though."

The salesman nodded and stepped out and she followed close behind. She shut the car door and shot another look down the hall. This time she saw two figures through the glass. One appeared to be the service manager and the other was her suspected target. Her eyes spotted the man handing something to the manager, but she could not identify what it was.

She returned her focus to the monster of a truck in front of her. It made her feel smaller than she already was and she climbed into the driver's seat with the salesman getting in the passenger seat. The cab of the truck was large and had room to fit three other people in the back. Its bed was large too, most likely for people working on farms or doing construction work.

"If you want something that gets you the towing power and the hauling capability, this is the one you want. The Titan has been the best rated work truck for the past eight years and has gotten constant praise from its buyers," said the man.

"How much can it tow?" Velvet continued to buy her time.

"Thirty thousand pounds."

She nodded again and her ears perked up when she heard the door open from the hall. Now was her chance, but she still needed to be discreet. Her mind raced and fired the next question that popped up.

"How does this fare in terms of collisions and safety?" She asked.

"Top of the line. The only thing that will really hurt you is if you get hit by a train or a semi," the man replied.

Velvet had all but tuned his voice out. Her eyes were downcast and looking at the pedals, but she looked up and saw the man with the purple hoodie. He walked with a slight slouch and trudged to the door. His path would lead him right by the front of the truck. She still could not get a solid look at his face and her window was closing fast. She bit her lip and her hand rested on the horn.

The loud blast made everyone in the showroom jump in alarm and look at the truck with irritation or surprise. Velvet felt heat swarm her cheeks again and she smiled sheepishly at the salesman who was in the car with her. The man looked ready to burst out laughing from the disturbance she caused, but that did not matter. She got the results she wanted and had to fight to keep the triumphant smirk from spreading across her lips. Shadow was right in front of her and she could see his wide eyes and the scar that stretched across his face.

"S-sorry," she stuttered with a small wave of her hand.

Shadow's eyes merely narrowed and he continued his walk to the exit. He departed the building and vanished from view down the rows of parked cars. She waited for a few more seconds before clambering out of the truck and offering an apology to everyone in the showroom. She hustled out of the store and slowed her pace to a steady stride.

A car's engine started up and ahead she could see Shadow driving away in the old car he arrived in. Once she saw this, her hand immediately went into her jacket and pulled out her scroll. She opened another channel to contact Winter. She did not have to wait long for the young lieutenant to answer on the other end.

"Lieutenant Schnee, Yatsuhashi and I have a positive ID on Shadow. Do you want us to pursue?" She asked.

"Say again?" Winter asked, her voice carried a hint of surprise in it.

"I have a visual on Shadow moving east in an old car. Do you want me and Yatsuhashi to follow him?"

Velvet continued walking out of the parking lot to keep an eye on the car. She reached the sidewalk and could just make out the back of it at the traffic light a block down the road. She heard heavy footsteps coming and they stopped beside her. Yatsuhashi was ready to give chase.

"That's not possible," said Winter.

"What do you mean? I'm looking at the car he's in right now." Velvet rested a hand on her hip.

"Because Adel and Alastair just said they saw him. I'm also looking at him right now with Sergeant Green."

That was not possible. There was no way Shadow could be in three places at once. Did Coco and Winter get a clear visual of their suspected target? She knew what she saw when she made eye contact with him inside the dealership, but did the others get close enough to see the target's face? Regardless, she continued tailing the car from a safe distance with Yatsuhashi beside her.

"Did you or Coco get a look at your target's face?" She asked.

"I know what I saw, Scarlatina. Your teammates saw the same thing. A tall male with blue eyes and a scar on the left cheek," Winter answered back bitterly.

"What do you want to do?"

Velvet and Yatsuhashi had stopped outside a small shop, all the while keeping an eye on Shadow's car that was now getting further and further away. They were about to lose their window to catch the courier if Winter did not make the call and she was the one that stressed capture of him on the first opportunity they had. They had at least twenty seconds to catch up to the car before it reached the onramp to the freeway.

"All teams stand down. It's too risky to move in for a capture. Rendezvous at the checkpoint."

There was a click as Winter terminated the call. Velvet looked down the road and saw the Shadow's car turn to the ramp and disappear in the sea of cars. Her fists clenched and she could feel herself seething. After all of that waiting and risk to get a visual of her target, they were told to stand down. All of that hard work was now gone and their next chance at apprehending the man would be in two weeks. It was almost as if Shadow was mocking her when he drove onto the freeway and escaped.

She felt her hands relax when Yatsuhashi put a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked back at her tall partner and could see the small smile on his face.

"We'll get him next time, Velvet," he assured her.

"We could have had him there!" She retorted.

"If what Lieutenant Schnee said was true, then I can't say I disagree with her decision."

She let out a sight and took a deep breath to quell her frustration. She was not an idiot and saw the reason behind Winter's decision, but it was still worth the chance in her eyes. Sure they may have been spread out and looking at different targets, but if they all moved in to capture the ones they were looking at it would still open up opportunities for more intelligence gathering, which was something Winter noted she liked to have before making a move.

"Come. We have just enough time to eat some lunch before meeting up with the others." Yatsuhashi turned on his heel.

"Okay." Velvet followed beside him. "Is there anything good on this part of town?"

"Have you ever had Simple Wok?"

"No."

"Then that's where we're going. I promise, you'll love it."

The knowing smile on her partner's face had the power to relieve her current frustration. She, too, smiled back at him and let the outcome of their mission wander to the back of her mind. Instead, she listened to the swordsman as he shed knowledge on the noodle stand they were going to eat at. And after hearing about the cuisine that they were about to consume, all that interested her was getting a large bowl of noodles and vegetables after their hard work. Then again, maybe it was the fact that Yatsuhashi offered to pay. Food always tasted better when it was free.

* * *

 **That's the chapter. I wanted to get more action and progression with the plot by moving on with the mission of capturing Shadow who is the suspected courier for Queen and Lotus. So instead of focusing on Blackburn, I wanted to focus on Velvet and Yatsuhashi for most of the chapter. Now like I stated above, as of this chapter I am shooting for bi-weekly updates with this story, so July 18th will be my deadline for the chapter.**


	10. Devil's Gift

**Yes, this is late as all hell and I apologize for missing my deadline. I wrote the chapter, but the first half of it took time for me to rewrite because of the subject it covers and I wanted to make a point with it, so hopefully you like it. Thanks again for the continued support, it means a lot.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

 **Goldspark1: The ladies aren't the only deadly ones in this show, but you're right.**

 **Edward Snowcone: You're welcome**

 **welcometodalolz: Well, if you were in that situation it would have been interesting to see how it panned out with your decision. Keep in mind that they want to keep their presence on the DL and trying to apprehend Shadow in three different locations where things can be seen will raise suspicions. No right or wrong answer, just dependent on the one in charge.**

* * *

Blackburn walked around the grouped students as they continued with the combatives drills he continued to teach them. The majority of them had absorbed the training like sponges much to his enjoyment. There was still a handful that were uncomfortable with fighting hand to hand, but they were coming to their own soon enough. He was sure that the success was coming because of their eagerness to learn a secondary way to fight rather than with their own fighting style with their weapons.

His eyes drifted towards Blake Belladonna who, in his mind, was grasping the concepts the fastest. It was possible it was because her partner was Yang and she had more exposure to it, but a part of him felt as though there was a different reason entirely. Nevertheless, he was pleased to see her smooth adaptability with the training.

A look at the clock and then to Glynda who nodded back at him to give him permission to call the class to attention.

"Okay, that's enough! Bring it in!" He spoke loud enough for them to hear.

The skirmishes came to a halt and they hustled over to form a half circle around him. The smaller students up front taking a knee while others stood behind them. Their faces were flushed and a thin sheet of sweat glistened in the light. Whenever he did training back in the Army, there was a phrase that was brought up time and again, "Train like you fight," and with what he had seen with the young Huntsmen in training, they were taking it to heart and progressing marvelously.

"You all are doing well with this, so I think it's time to let you know we will be switching the training up a bit next week that will allow you the chance to incorporate the combatives you learned these last couple of classes," said Blackburn.

"What will that be?" Cardin raised his hand.

"Well, the Emerald Forest is where we will be doing the training. It will be set up as a team against team style to allow teams to work together and become more adept with the environment around them during a fight to simulate a mission that you could be assigned in the future."

Murmurs swept the students who were a mix of interest and uncertainty with what he had said. Those that looked hesitant with his words were sending subtle glances to Glynda as if expecting her to either confirm or deny what he had said. When she only gave a curt nod, they turned their eyes back to the young assistant.

"When you say team against team, is it like both teams are given a mission in the Emerald Forest they have to complete, or are we literally talking team against team in a combat fight?" Jaune asked.

"Both." He looked at the blonde. "We will have two teams go during a class period that can either entail hunting Grimm or going against each other head to head. That way it will allow you to experience working together as a team against Grimm and humans who are capable of thinking just like you. This will help you prepare for the Vytal Festival coming up."

Jaune nodded at him and folded his arms. He then did another sweep of the students to see if anyone had something more to add to the conversation before moving on. When no one raised their hands, he turned back to Glynda.

"That's all I had for today unless you had something else, Glynda," he said.

"No. I only wanted the time to say that when we start training in the Emerald Forest next week, the teams not scheduled to go will act as security to purge any Grimm that may be drawn to the fighting as well as watch to prepare themselves," the spectacled woman answered back.

"Right."

Glynda's words of assurance that there would be control measures active to keep them safe brought a wave of relief upon the doubtful students. They still had ten minutes before the end of class which he granted them to freshen up by tending to personal hygiene. Just when he was about to release them, he saw a feminine hand rise in the crowd. It was Blake.

"What's up, Belladonna?" He pointed at her.

"I had a question I wanted to ask you, if you don't mind?" She replied.

"Fire away."

"When we started this combatives training you said you were more afraid of someone who was capable of thinking and fighting like us rather than Grimm."

"Yeah."

He was not sure what was on the girl's mind, but he had an uneasy feeling build in his stomach. He was more than willing to talk about himself if his students asked him questions, but there were certain things he was in no hurry to reveal unless they could benefit from it.

"If that's true, then have you fought or killed someone like that?"

There it was. It took a while, but someone finally asked the question he was waiting on the moment he started teaching them combatives. "Have you ever killed someone?" A simple question that was haunting and tough to talk about, especially among his fellow soldiers. Even some of the most hardened men that he served with were hesitant to talk about the sensitive topic. Not just because it involved killing another being, but because of the damage it left behind on the individual.

His mouth went dry and his eyes quickly fell to the floor. He was uncomfortable about it himself, but due to the lesson that could be learned with it, he opted to humor the young woman. Swallowing whatever saliva was in his mouth he looked Blake in the eyes.

"I have." He nodded.

He squirmed a bit as the students continued to look at him, as if asking for him to elaborate further. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Glynda walking up to him, her eyes narrowed a bit, but they were not directed at him. Her emerald eyes were fixed on Blake.

"Miss Belladonna, I must ask you to stop asking anything more about this topic. If Mister Blackburn is uncomfortable about…" She spoke.

"It's fine."

The spectacled woman shifted her gaze to him and he gave her a small nod in return. She pursed her lips and her shoulders sagged back as she relaxed. When she resigned herself, he took a moment to find the words he wanted to say. Try as he might, he could not figure out how to continue. His knuckles cracked as his hands formed into tight fists.

"I have five confirmed kills since I began my career as a soldier. All of them have been split over my two deployments," he finally spoke.

"You don't have to answer anymore if this is too painful to discuss." Blake frowned. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No. You asked a good question and this is something you all should learn because it will give you insight to this topic."

Blake's frown seemed to grow tighter, but she nodded back and folded her arms over her chest. He took a deep breath through his nose and let out a sigh.

"It's very different where I come from. Instead of being taught to fight Grimm, I was trained to fight other people," he continued.

"But why other people?" Ruby piped up.

"That's a story for another time, Ruby. Right now I want to explain what it's like to take a life."

The red reaper opened her mouth to respond, but she was stopped when Weiss gripped her shoulder firmly and sent her a sharp look. She sheepishly rubbed her arm and uttered an apology.

"For me when I learned to fight, a lot of the training went to the back of my head and just sat there because I had not been in that situation until I was deployed. I was trained to kill my enemies without hesitation because that would make the difference if I got to go home to see my family or not. Every target I shot, every dummy I stabbed, was nothing compared to the real thing, no matter how hard I tried to picture them as a person," he continued.

The words were coming to him a lot easier now. His first kill itself was hard enough to get through and it took a lot of talking with Sergeant Carlson just to get him back on track and in the fight. Now explaining it to his students was nothing like the conversation with his former squad leader. Instead it was him doing role reversal and acting like the NCO and speaking to a bunch of fresh soldiers and preparing them for the potential encounter down the road.

"Now, it's easy to think that you know how you would act in a real combat situation. You can think you will be a cold badass that won't be shaken, you may think you'll break down, but one thing is for certain. When you actually kill someone, it will affect you mentally and physically. You will always remember that kill because you will see their face when you go to sleep, when you dream, and when you wake up."

If the eyes of the students weren't on him earlier, he had their attention now. The sea of faces before him were a mix of unease and shock, yet they all were listening closely to his words. It filled him with pride that they were taking his words to heart, but it also filled him with concern that they would begin to not only doubt their futures as Huntsmen and Huntresses, but have second thoughts on him as a person.

"What was your first kill like?" Jaune raised his hand.

Blackburn's teeth dug into his bottom lip and he could feel his fingers bury themselves into his arms.

"Not one I want to remember," he replied before swallowing again. "Since I was in a combat unit I knew I would be in that position at some point, but even before it happened I always hoped that my first kill would be from a distance."

"Why would you prefer that?"

"Because there's a difference when you shoot someone from a distance as opposed to up close with a blade. In my mind if I shot someone from a range and watched them fall, I can search for another target and take my mind off of it. It would be just like shooting targets at the range when waiting for the next one to pop up. It also gives you the chance to be ignorant and think that the guy you shot got up, said "Fuck this," quit the fight and returned home to his family. When you're up close and personal, you either beat them or stab them and then you have to watch the life drain from their eyes."

He trailed off and closed his eyes tight. Talking about his first kill was allowing the face of the man he killed to resurface and stare back at him. He took another breath and it left him shakily and he opened his eyes again. He could still see those brown eyes staring up at him, wide with horror and his hands grasping for his face in a desperate attempt to shake him off.

"Then your first kill…" Blake started.

"Was up close and personal," he finished her statement.

"Can you tell us how it happened?"

Blackburn paused for a moment and spared Glynda a quick look. She had been surprisingly quiet during the whole conversation. She gave him a curt nod in return, permitting him to continue if he wished. There was no doubt she knew this story would get dark and graphic, but seeing as he had come this far with the difficult subject, she decided to let him roll with it to give them a learning point.

It had started like any normal day. Wake up, quick breakfast and hygiene, then it was into the HMMWV to conduct their mission. His platoon had been tasked to clear a village near the Iranian border that had been taken by a group of insurgents. They were expecting a heavy fight due to the insurgents having high morale after defeating a group of Afghan soldiers just days before when taking the town. And for once, their intelligence had been on the money.

They surrounded the village to cut off all avenues of escape to box the insurgents in and stormed the village. Under heavy fire, his squad advanced from the eastern edge of the village and went house to house to clear it of any enemies that dwelled inside. When his squad reached an intersection, they split off into their fire teams to clear the houses.

Sergeant Carlson had taken Woods, Domsic, and Nelson to the house across the street. He had Harvick, McDermott and Busch with him. Having done room clearing to the point of being able to conduct it in their sleep during training, the four of them stacked up outside the door. Once they were ready, Harvick pushed off the wall and mule kicked it open with McDermott and Busch storming in first. Neither of them fired and gave the clear for the bottom floor. Then it came his and Harvick's turn to check the upstairs.

He had taken point and his footsteps were nonexistent as he ascended the stairs with his rifle high. At the top of the stairs there were two doors. One led to a room at the end of foyer and the other was directly to the right of the stairs. He signaled Harvick to check to room at the end of the hall and he disappeared inside. Once Harvick had vanished inside the room, the door in front of him opened and a man charged out.

"This guy charges out of the room and tackles me, like wham!" He smacked his open palm with his fist.

Some of the students in front jumped at the sudden smack.

"I wasn't able to get a shot off and ended up grabbing him to stop him from strangling me. We rolled down the stairs and he landed on top of me. Next thing I know, there's this vice grip around my neck and I can't breathe."

The hateful brown eyes of the man flashed before him again and he shook his head to banish them to the depths of his mind.

"I freaked out and acted on instinct. My hands went for his face and I jammed my thumbs into his eyes."

No one dared to speak as he continued his story.

"He let go and I rolled us and was on top with my knife out. I brought it down and his eyes just bugged out of his head. Then I did it again and again, all the while he's trying to push me off."

He did not know how many times he stabbed the man, but it did not take long for him to stop struggling and succumb to his wounds. In that short time he was coming off the adrenaline and hit with the realization of what he had done. He looked into the man's eyes and watched as the light in them dimmed and his last breath left him. Those empty eyes staring up at him, fixed in a look of horror.

He continued to stare down at the dead man in a zombie-like state. Everything around him was forgotten. All the fighting, gunshots, screams and yells were gone and replaced with nothing but a chilling silence as he stared into those lifeless orbs. He pulled to his feet which broke him from his dazed stupor and his eyes turned to the one who helped him to find it was Harvick.

His friend looked relieved to see him in one piece from the surprise attack, but it soon became one of concern when he saw his eyes. He was unable to comprehend what he said, but it soon became apparent when Harvick led him out of the house.

Blackburn finished recounting his story and looked back at the students who were still silent as before.

"Bottom line, you're in a line of work that may lead you to that point where you have to make a decision to take a life or lose yours. It's not an easy decision to make and it does not get easier. Personally, I hope none of you have to experience that. It's not something kids like you should be faced with," he said.

"You're not much older than us." Blake pointed out.

"True, but I still went through that. I'm twenty years old and I made my first kill when I was eighteen. So take it from me, this is not something you want to be faced with, but it is still a possibility as Huntsmen. That's the only reason I'm telling you about this."

Blake opened her mouth to speak again, but never got the chance. By this point Glynda had heard enough and took a step forward to stand beside Blackburn and call an end for the questions to the exhausted assistant.

"All right, that's enough questions for now. Class will be starting soon and you all best get some lunch before then. Now be off," she said.

The students got to their feet and shuffled to the door, not daring to look back at Blackburn or Glynda. On the way, Blake cast one last subtle glance at Blackburn who failed to catch it, but it did not escape Glynda's sharp eyes.

When the class had filed out of the room, Glynda pushed up her glasses and turned to her young assistant. She frowned when she saw the distant look in his eyes and it took her clearing her throat to get his attention once more. He quickly snapped to attention and looked back at her.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," she said.

"I know, but in a way I think I owed them that," he said with a grimace. "I mean, they may feel a little jaded about being taught by a guy like me with no experience like they have for one. But it was also for their own good. I'd rather they learn about the risks ahead of time instead of facing it at the last second."

Glynda's lips pursed and a small hum left them, accepting his response.

"Would you like to come back to my office to talk about it over coffee, Mister Blackburn?" She asked.

The younger man only shook his head and gave her a small smile in return. It was a smile she knew all too well having seen it many times with James Ironwood and it only made her frown. It was one that tried to mask the pain and hurt the person was dealing with and brush off any concern.

She sighed and her heels clicked as she walked towards the door. She paused in the doorway and looked back at Blackburn over her shoulder.

"My office is always open, Mister Blackburn, and I am more than willing to listen to your troubles," she said.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine in no time," he said, his hand digging into his pocket.

"Very well, but you can't keep those emotions bottled forever. Sooner or later you'll have to talk to someone about it. If not me, then someone you can trust."

With that, the blonde witch departed the room leaving him alone to his thoughts. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day and pulled his hand out of his pocket. His eyes looked down at his scroll and he opened it up. His thumb punched the numbers on the screen and he brought it up to his face as the ringing met his ears.

The ringing soon stopped and the video feed came up on the screen. General Ironwood's face appeared a second later and he smiled at him.

"Mister Blackburn, how can I help you today?" The general asked.

Blackburn took a deep breath and swallowed whatever was in his mouth to sooth his parched throat. He had been mulling over the man's offer for the past twenty-four hours. It was a risky move on his end to accept the offer because of how little Ironwood and his staff knew about the consequences that could come with it, but it also presented him with the chance to help and be more useful than he currently was.

"General Ironwood… I'll do it," was his simple reply.

* * *

Soon after giving the general his answer, he was reporting to the large ship overlooking Beacon beside Lieutenant Schnee. Neither of them said anything to each other as the elevator transported them below the bridge to the lower deck where the research lab was. However, she did not seem as bitter as she had been on their first couple of encounters, but that awkward rift between them still lingered.

The doors chimed and opened and they stepped out. When they entered the large laboratory, Blackburn was taken aback by how large it was. Scientists were clustered around tables and fiddling with their scrolls and computers as they recorded endless data on the projects they researched. There were secondary testing rooms on both sides of the lab where he could see weapons being tested and even some Grimm being chambered for God knows what.

He and Winter came to a stop out a large, sealed double door. The lieutenant pulled out her scroll and set it on the terminal and an automated voice acknowledged the request.

"Identified, Lieutenant Winter Schnee. Access granted."

The doors hissed and an amber light flashed above them as they opened to another room. They entered the room and the doors closed and locked behind them. The room was a lot smaller compared to the previous one and did not hold nearly the amount of eye catching exhibits.

Instead, there were only a few capsule devices that resembled a chamber for stasis. One them in particular housed a young man who did not look a day older than thirty. His eyes were closed and he slept peacefully as the steady beat of his heart beeped on the nearby monitor.

"Good, you're here," came Ironwood's voice.

Winter and Blackburn turned their eyes front and were surprised to see Ozpin and Glynda beside him.

"Yes, Sir," Blackburn said with a nod.

"Sir, may I ask why you wanted Blackburn, Ozpin and Glynda here?" Winter spoke up. "This is supposed to be a classified area."

"That may be true, but the matter at hand concerns the three of them. So here we are."

Winter's lips curled into a frown and she rested her hands on her hips. She was not one for questioning Ironwood's choices, but this was one that did not make any sense to her. This room was off limits to all personnel unless they had the proper clearance. She and Ironwood were the only two in the room that had that privilege.

"Sir, on what grounds do they have a right to be in here? This room is only open to certain individuals for a reason," she continued.

The general sighed and his eyes hardened just a bit as he looked back at his lieutenant.

"Winter, I'm very aware of the sensitive information in this room, but I ask that you trust me. Ozpin, Glynda and Blackburn are in here because I trust them with an important matter that is much bigger than you know," he answered calmly.

Meanwhile, Blackburn kept stealing glances between the general and the lieutenant. He had seen his fair share of officers get heated with each other and it often times did not end well for the junior. He knew Winter was treading on thin ice with her persistence and the cracks were only growing bigger the more she dug into it.

"And what would that be, Sir?" She asked.

Before Ironwood could speak, Ozpin stepped forward and lightly swirled his mug of coffee.

"Miss Schnee, I understand your concern, but James is right. We are here to find a solution to a problem that could very well threaten all of Remnant."

"Threaten how? What can be more threatening than Grimm or Queen or Lotus?" She pressed on.

"I'm afraid that that information is classified. It goes beyond what you think you know and until we have the answers to our own questions, it will stay that way."

Winter's fists clenched tightly as she stared into the eyes of Beacon's headmaster. His gaze was calm, but she could see a slight sharpness in his eyes that told her to drop the subject. She could only take their word for it. Doing the best she could to keep herself from protesting once again, she took a deep breath through her nose and counted silently.

"Fine, but when those secrets can be revealed, I expect to be the first to know," she said calmly.

Ozpin merely nodded and then stepped back to allow James to resume his task. The general straightened his tie and his eyes fell on Blackburn.

"Do you recall me saying we could fuse you with an Aura?" He asked.

"Yes, Sir," said Blackburn.

"I want you take a look at that man in the capsule there."

Blackburn looked at the slumbering man inside and stepped forward to get a closer look. He rested his hand on the glass and listened to the light beeps from the monitor beside it. It was an eerie reminder of how he stayed beside his wounded brothers in the medical tents. A cold shiver went down his spine and he spoke again.

"Who is he?"

"He is one of our former SF operators, Hector Silva," Ironwood said as he walked up to him. "He was Winter's former instructor and second in command."

His eyes cast a glance towards Winter who looked at the ground. Her face did not have its trademark sternness, being replaced with a softer, sadder look. It was obvious that the loss of her mentor was a sensitive topic for her.

"What happened to him?" He looked back at Hector.

This time it was Winter who answered for Ironwood.

"We had a mission in Mistral that involved repelling a Grimm invasion from a city. Hector used his Semblance at one of the entrances to keep the Grimm out and in doing so, he used the last of his Aura and collapsed. He never regained consciousness."

"I'm sorry." He frowned.

"Don't be. It's the life he chose. He knew the risks of the job."

It was a blunt dismissal and despite the harshness behind it, it was the sad truth. Soldiers were expected to face the threat and destroy it by any means necessary. It came with a big risk and it brought nothing but hurt and pain.

"What does he have to do with this, Sir?" He turned back to Ironwood.

"Like I told you earlier we can fuse you with an Aura, but in this case it will come at a cost," Ironwood said. "We would be transferring his Aura to you."

"Wait, then wouldn't that…"

The room fell silent. With Aura being the manifestation of one's soul, it would come at the cost of Hector's life. His life would be forever intertwined with the soldier in front of him.

"That's right," Ironwood said with a small frown.

"But what about his family?" He asked.

"Hector didn't have one. He was an orphan and joined the Atlas Military when he came of age. The closest thing he had to a family was those he served with."

"Did he have any requests if he were to be in this sort of state?"

Hector's wish if he was to be kept alive on life support was to keep him on it for one year and if he showed no signs of improvement to unplug him or use him in a way to better help Remnant. With his last mission occurring just over a year ago, it was now time to make a decision, no matter how difficult it would be. Rather than letting his life just be wasted with unplugging him, there was a shared belief it would be better to honor his memory by letting his essence live on in another to protect Remnant.

"And you're okay with this?" Blackburn said to Winter.

Her jaw tightened just a bit when he asked her, but she gave a small nod.

"It's because of Hector that I'm here today. I'm indebted to honor his request," she said. "But if you so much as disgrace his memory, you will be answering to me. Am I clear?"

"I wouldn't think of it." He shook his head.

Ozpin cleared his throat getting their attention and his eyes fell on Blackburn. He shifted just a bit under the headmaster's gaze, but did not break eye contact with the older man.

"You have an important decision to make here, Mister Blackburn. There's no telling what will happen to you if you accept the transfer of Aura or if it will even work, so we have to ask you one last time. What is your decision?" Ozpin rested his hands on the top of his cane.

He looked around to Glynda, Ironwood and Winter who were fixing him with similar stares. This was not a joking matter and whatever choice he made, they were ready to go through with it. He sent one last look at Hector and his hands formed fists.

Not only was this a chance to grant the last request of a soldier, but it was also an opportunity for himself. He could have his own Aura and be of further use to those around him. Until he figured out how to get back home, it was his best option and he would make the most of it. With newfound determination he looked back at Ozpin.

"I'll do it."

"Very well. James, please begin making the preparations for the transfer," said Ozpin.

James moved over to the neighboring capsule and opened the hatch. He then activated the terminal and his fingers pressed numerous keys as he set up the device. After a minute he stood back and looked back at him.

"Mister Blackburn, we need to set up the electrodes to monitor your vitals." He held up the small patches and wires.

He stepped forward and took the electrodes from Ironwood's hand. After placing them on the table he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off. He shivered just a bit as the cool air hit him. Once he finished putting the last patch on, he clambered into the capsule and relaxed against the leather cushioning. The hatch closed and he heard the wind up of oxygen as it entered the chamber.

He took a deep breath and looked out of the glass at Ironwood. There was no turning back.

"Are you ready?" Ironwood asked him.

"Yes, Sir," was his firm reply.

"Okay. And Connor, thank you."

The capsule hummed to life and grew louder with each passing second, almost resembling a jet engine as it sped up. The capsule began to shake as the energy flowed between his and Hector's. It hit him fast and hard.

Every muscle in his body constricted at once. They burned and he could feel them stretching and twisting. He grit his teeth as hard as he could to keep himself from screaming in pain. The heavy pounding of his heart echoed in his ears and pulsed up to his head. The beeping outside the chamber grew faster as his pulse raced and his heart thundered. His nostrils flared with each sharp breath he took to endure the burning sensation that swarmed his body.

"Transfer at fifty percent," said Winter.

"Just hang on a little longer, Blackburn," said Ironwood, sparing him a glance.

"Easier said than done, Sir!" He grunted.

Sweat trickled down his face as his body grew hotter. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes. The pain was too much to bear and a whimper escaped his lips. Just a little more, come on! He was doing everything he could to focus on anything other than his aching body.

"Ninety-five percent!" Winter said.

He could not hold it back anymore. His mouth opened and a scream tore through his throat and filled the room. The machines wound down and he felt his body give out and fall into the welcoming leather.

"What the fuck!?" He rasped.

Air flooded his lungs and his chest heaved with each breath. It was finally over. He looked up with his half-lidded eyes and saw Ironwood's mouth moving, but he heard nothing. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

The hatch opened and Ironwood looked back to the monitor. The Aura transfer was a success and the body diagram on the screen showed it was flowing through Blackburn's body. He patted Winter on the shoulder and she hurried to the other side of the room to grab a gurney. When the gurney stopped beside the capsule, he carefully pulled Blackburn out and rested him on it.

"So, what now?" Winter folded her arms.

"Get him to the infirmary and have the doctors let us know when he wakes up," said Ironwood.

"Yes, Sir!"

Winter wheeled the gurney out of the room with haste and disappeared.

* * *

It was silent between Ironwood, Glynda and Ozpin as they continued to stare at the exit. Ozpin looked at Ironwood from the corner of his eye and then back at the capsules.

"It appears that it worked," he remarked.

"Mister Blackburn may have an Aura now, but he has to be able to use it. Until we know he's capable of using it without side effects, we can't say this is possible with Amber's situation," said Glynda.

"Right. Now that the first step is done, we need to move on to the next. Glynda, once Mister Blackburn has recovered, I want you to start training him in using his Aura."

The blonde Huntress nodded and opened her scroll to make note of it.

"James, would you mind if Winter helped with that as well?" He asked his old friend.

"I don't see a problem with that," the general shook his head. "I'm not sure how thrilled she'll be helping him train, but I can see the potential it can bring for both of them."

"Then it's settled."

Ozpin made way for the doors with Glynda beside him. The doors opened and the duo vanished from view seconds later.

Ironwood unscrewed the flask he kept inside his coat and took a long swig. He let the smooth taste dance on his tongue and relished it. He screwed the cap shut and tucked it away before turning his attention back to the capsule containing Hector's body. His feet carried him over to the chamber and he peered down at the lifeless body. Even in death, Hector looked peaceful and the small smile on his face only added to it.

He raised his hand and rested it on the glass, closed his eyes and said a small prayer for one of his best soldiers.

"Rest easy, son. Know that even in death, you've done more for Remnant than many ever will."

* * *

 **There's the chapter. Again, I'm truly sorry for the missed deadline, but I wanted to make the topic of the first kill a serious one to make it as realistic as possible. Now, I personally haven't been deployed yet, but from stories I heard from those that have been, it is fairly close. I used my own personal belief on the whole "from a distance vs up close and personal" as well as the whole "it's easy to think you'll know how you'll act in that situation". Anyway, now that Blackburn has an Aura the story will pick up a lot more. I promise the next deadline will be met, which will remain bi-weekly, but will be updated on Fridays. Let me know what you thought, and I'll see you next time.**

 **Next update deadline is August 26th.**

 **Notes:**

 **1.) I followed the color naming rule for Hector Silva. Hector meaning "brown horse" and Silva meaning "forest or woods".**


	11. Friend

**Stupid 408 errors. Enjoy the chapter folks. Let me know what you thought via review. Can't improve when no one says anything. Thanks again for the continued support.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

 **Goldspark1: I guess in a way it is a reminder of the Spartan program. Now you don't have to worry about Blackburn feeling invincible now that he's got an Aura or being gung ho like Ruby. He will have moments of tenacity because of his past as a soldier, but he won't act reckless just because he has an Aura. His training has been engrained in his head, so he will still take a tactical approach to most problems.**

* * *

A small groan escaped his lips as the piercing light stabbed at his eyelids. With a sigh he slowly opened his brow orbs and kept them narrowed to shield them from the light. A gentle beep of a monitor met his ears and he craned his neck to the right to see his vitals were normal. The corner of his mouth twitched a bit and he silently cursed as his entire body throbbed with pain.

That's right. Memories of the classified room and the Aura transfer from Hector Silva flooded him. His entire body ached and felt sore from the procedure. Almost all of his muscles felt like they were on fire and being torn and stretched apart. He vaguely remembered hearing Winter saying that the transfer was complete and smiled just a bit. If that was true, then he was just like the rest of them. A super human, or whatever they could be classified as.

To save himself from any lingering pain, he raised his right hand and wiggled his fingers. One, two, three, four, and five. He then formed a tight fist and a small series of pops sounded as they cracked. No pain. He blinked and wondered if it was his new Aura that nulled any form of discomfort he would be experiencing. It was excruciating during the transfer and it was a fair assumption that he would still be in a whole new level of discomfort.

Feeling brave to take the chance, he took a deep breath and slowly sat upright. Nothing sharp or flaring hit him and his smile grew. His eyes did another sweep of the room he was in to find it empty. There was just a few beds spread out around the infirmary.

"Hello?" He called out.

No one responded to his voice. He waited for a few seconds before trying again. There was no response. A calm silence was his only company. Was it possible he could just check himself out and get a shuttle back to Beacon?

He swung his legs over the bed and they graced the cold tiles. His fingers pried off the electrodes that were still hooked up to his chest and tracking his vitals. The beeping on the monitor ceased and he turned to his bedside table. His shirt and scroll were set on top of it and folded neatly.

He reached for his shirt and was about to put it on, but his attention quickly snapped to the door when it slid open. His eyes landed on Winter who looked back at him before averting her gaze.

"Excuse me. I'll wait until you're decent," she said.

"Never seen a half-naked man before, LT?" He asked.

He could feel her glare as he pulled his shirt over his head and the warmth blocked out the cool room. He tucked his scroll back into his pocket and began his trek to the door, garnering the lieutenant's attention in doing so.

"How are you feeling?" Winter stood aside to let him out of the room.

"A little sore, but other than that I feel great," he said.

"Good, because that means we can get your training started."

Blackburn's head perked up and he looked at Winter who did not break stride as he turned his eyes on her.

"Training?" He perked a brow.

A tiny smirk played at the edge of the lieutenant's lips. "That's right. Your training."

He scratched the back of his head, somewhat confused. What training was Winter talking about? To add to that, why did she look so happy about the subject? This was the same woman who was not fond of him and would take great pleasure in either humiliating him or kicking the ever living tar out of him. To make matters worse, she was more than capable of doing so.

Winter led him through the ship and towards the docking bay. She elaborated further on the 'training' that he was supposed to receive. Needless to say, he was surprised, yet excited. Now that he had an Aura of his own, General Ironwood and Ozpin felt the need for him to learn how to use it to better test the experiment. Because of that, he now knew the reason why Winter appeared somewhat happy when she mentioned it to him earlier. She along with Glynda would be his instructors.

"Your first session will be tomorrow at five hundred hours. I will have a Bullhead waiting to pick you up and bring you here," she said.

"Great. How long do you plan on this session being?" He replied.

"Can you make it three hours or is that too much for you?"

He gave her a scowl and she smirked back. She was taking great pleasure in mocking him and it was eating at him just a bit. Mocking people was his job and he made a mental note to give the young lieutenant a true taste of what a smartass could do. And with the way she acted, he had no doubt that he could easily rile the woman up.

"Too easy," he answered her. "The question is can you deal with me for three hours?"

"I won't break a sweat with you. Now, go back and get some rest. Make sure to wear something suitable for training," she stopped at the Bullhead's door.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

He gave her a goofy salute and stepped on the Bullhead, not sparing her a parting glance as the ramp hissed shut behind him.

* * *

Blackburn's walk back to his office was peaceful. The halls of the school were deserted with the students locking themselves in their dorms to study or opting to enjoy the pleasant weather outside. If he was not tired, he'd find a place to relax outside to take in the beautiful day. It would be his first nice day in a while. The deserts of Afghanistan had burned his skin and made him melt on a daily basis which made it hard to enjoy, despite the constant sunshine.

He rounded the corner and bumped into something small. His eyes quickly snapped down to the thing he hit only to find Ruby Rose looking up in surprise.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said.

"No! No, it's my fault! I wasn't watching where I was going." The small girl quickly shook her head.

"Well, to be fair, neither was I. So it's cool, okay?"

His smile fell when the girl's silver eyes were downcast. He had seen those eyes before with some of his friends. Something was on her mind and it was weighing down the usually bubbly girl.

"What's wrong? You look like your best friend just died," he said.

Ruby looked up and tilted her head just a bit. Her brow furrowed as her mind processed his words.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"I'm just saying you're looking down. Are you okay?" He answered.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay. I'm just trying to find someone important to me."

He watched the young Huntress look around the abandoned corridor. It was a similar reminder to his tours in Afghanistan. Whenever he went through a city or a village he was able to see some kids who looked miserable and it was one of the saddest things he had seen. Kids were supposed to be happy and carefree, not sad and lost.

"Come with me for a bit," he said.

"Where are we going?" She followed him.

"Back to my office. You like soda?"

A small glow filled the girl's eyes and her lips curved up in a smile. Any sadness she had was replaced with an eager look at the promise of a sugary treat. If he was able to help her forget the thing that was bothering her, even if it was temporary, that was enough for him.

They reached his office a few minutes later and he held up his scroll to the door. The security panel flashed green and a lone click sounded and the door swung open. They stepped inside and moved towards the desk.

Ruby stayed silent and her eyes swept the room. She was fairly surprised seeing the clean state of the office. Then again, it would have been unprofessional for a teacher to appear disorganized to their students. She had seen Jaune's side of his dorm a couple of times and although he did alright staying clean, he had his days where it looked like a pigsty.

A sharp whistle met her ears and she turned to see Blackburn holding up a small can of soda. He tossed it to her and she juggled it when it hit her hands before clutching it tightly. She walked over to the empty chair in front of his desk and sat down. Her can gave a hiss as she pulled the tap back and took a big gulp.

"So, why are you bummed out?" Blackburn sat down in his chair with a drink of his own.

"Well, I lost something important and I can't find him," said Ruby.

"Him?"

He perked up just a bit and his mind started to sort through his memories. There was something important he needed to do for Ruby, but he could not remember what it was. What was it? It did not even dawn on him until Ruby mentioned that she was missing something.

"My dog, Zwei. He was not in our room when we came back to it a couple days ago and I'm worried," she said.

That was it! His smile returned and he took another sip from his soda before setting it on his desk.

"Hold on a second," he told her.

He pursed his lips and gave a sharp whistle and the smile on his face grew when he heard a muffled thump come from his bedroom. Panting came a second later and the tiny corgi darted out of the door barking happily. Zwei came to a grinding halt just in front of his desk and Ruby's face lit up like the sun.

"Zwei!" She scooped him up in a hug.

She giggled as the small dog licked her face repeatedly. The girl did not protest as his wet tongue continued to lay kisses. Ruby was a dog girl through and through and would welcome any playful moments she could get with the corgi.

"Where did you find him?" She looked back at him.

"He found me," he said. "I don't know how he did it, but he got into my room while I was sleeping and woke me up."

"Oh, yeah, he does that sometimes."

"Does what?"

"Open doors. He's always been good at handling himself in more ways than one."

Blackburn blinked owlishly at the unusual answer and shrugged. At this point he might as well take it in stride. Remnant may have mimicked Earth, but it had its differences and one of them was that humans and pets were capable of different feats. In this case, the pooch in front of him was able to open doors, serve his own food, and avoid detection. What next? Could he battle creatures twice his size?

He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. His eyes turned to the ceiling and he let out a small groan. The soreness in his body was starting to come back just a bit and the familiar tenderness returned to his back and his legs.

"Mister Blackburn," Ruby spoke up.

"Yeah?" He grunted back.

"Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

Ruby shook her head and finished her soda. She smiled again and continued petting Zwei as he sat happily in her lap.

"No, I mean it. You didn't have to help me, but you did," she said.

"Seriously, it's cool." He held up his hand. "My NCO always told me to take care of your soldiers. In this case, you're my student so I did what I needed to do."

"NCO?" She chirped back.

"Non-commissioned officer. Kind of like a mentor of sorts who keeps smartass retards like me in line."

"Hey, language!"

She gave him a playful glare and he just chuckled and was soon joined by her. Their laughter died out and silence fell between them.

"Hey, what's that?" Ruby nodded at the small shelf to his left.

He followed her gaze to the shelf and he spotted his M9. His hand reached for the pistol and pulled it off the shelf. He dropped the magazine and ejected the loaded round and flipped it to safe before setting it in front of Ruby.

The red garbed girl stopped petting Zwei and picked up the pistol with her hands. She gripped it with both hands and squared her shoulders after bringing up the sights. She closed one eye and flipped the safety off. Her fingers slowly squeezed the trigger and a click sounded in the room.

"What kind of pistol is this?" She asked, turning it in her hand.

"M9. It's the pistol my unit issued me," he said.

He watched the girl fiddle with the weapon, not too surprised with the way she handled it. This was the girl who had a gun-scythe that was capable of firing .50 caliber rounds. If she could handle something like that, then a pistol was a walk in the park.

"Nine millimeter?" She glanced up at him.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Capable of single action with the first shot and then double action?"

"That's right."

Ruby gave a nod of approval and cocked the pistol again and flipped the safety before setting it back on the desk. He took it and held it in his hand. Even though he had not fired the pistol in a while, it still fit his hand perfectly.

"You really know your weapons," he said.

"Sure do!" She smiled back.

She reached behind her and pulled out her weapon. Her hands lightly patted the red steel and she looked up at him.

"I made my baby here myself!"

"Really?" He quirked a brow.

"Yup! A lot of Huntsmen make their own weapons. Yang and I made ours with the help of Dad and Uncle Qrow."

Blackburn was a little surprised that a girl like Ruby was able to make her own weapon from scratch. In fact, he was very impressed. A weapon that powerful and effective was nothing to mock and he would tip his hat to her for achieving such a feat.

"That's pretty cool. If I were to try that, I'd have no idea where to start. Back home if I wanted to modify a weapon or make one I would have to buy all sorts of parts for a specific platform," he said.

Ruby tucked her weapon away and her grin grew wider.

"Well, tell you what. If you ever want to create a weapon, let me know. I'd love to help make it!"

He laughed and inserted the magazine back into his pistol before placing it back on the shelf.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he said. "If I did, I'd probably make another rifle."

"I could see that working for you. But that leaves me with two questions," Ruby replied.

"Being?"

"First, what would be the secondary function you'd like? For instance, I have a scythe for close combat to go along with the gun. The second question is what would you want it chambered in?"

This girl was truly something else. While she was not the best fighter in hand to hand, she had a lot of knowledge with weapons and that made her cool in his book. Thinking back to her questions he only had the answer for one.

He was not sure what he would like to have as a secondary function. Close quarter battle was not the ideal spot to be caught in battle for him, but in this world it was a guarantee that it would be a big issue. If he were to have his new weapon on hand right now, it would be a two in one system to go along with his M9 and his combat knife. Armed to the teeth.

"Not sure, but if we're talking caliber I'd prefer 7.62," he began, "if it's control I would go with 5.56, but at the end of the day what you want is…"

"Stopping power." Both of them said.

Blackburn blinked and he and Ruby burst into laughter.

"Did we just become best friends?" He asked.

"Yeah! Well, I mean, if you want to. But you'd have to be my second best friend. Weiss is my BFF!" She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Blackburn lost track of time, his goal of an early sleep forgotten. His talk with Ruby had grown and delved deeper in creating a weapon.

Ruby had used a giant sheet of paper and sketched the initial outline of his ideal weapon. She had followed the platform of a standard rifle with and had it broken down in three separate spots. With each detail listed off, he saw the blueprint become clearer until it was a completed rough copy.

The rifle itself was a near replica of the MK 17 that he had seen the SF units use. The barrel of the rifle would be interchangeable to allow for close quarter battle as well as long range. The magazines would be able to hold twenty rounds of ammunition for whatever dust he wished. The stock would be adjustable to fit his needs and it was fit with a standard set of sights.

Below the drawing of the gun was the possible secondary feature of the rifle. Ruby had proposed that the function would be activated with a secondary switch to shift it into a blade. Although the idea was not his favorite, he conceded and decided to humor the red garbed girl to which she happily finished putting in the last details of the blade.

"And we're done!" She clapped. "It looks very cool!"

"Thanks. And thank you for drawing that up," he said.

"Please, I love doing this!"

She set down the pencil and flexed her cramping fingers.

"So, when do you want to make it?" She asked.

"Oh, well, I don't have the money for any of the parts," he said. "Besides, I thought this was just for fun?"

"Are you kidding me? It'd be a waste not to make this baby!"

He sighed and nodded in agreement. At least it would be a fitting replacement since Winter destroyed his M4 the first day he arrived.

"Tell you what. When I get the money saved up, I'll let you know and we can buy the parts. It'll be our little project. Deal?"

"Deal!" She nodded. "In the meantime, I'll hold on to this."

She rolled the blueprint up and tucked it under her arm. She got to her feet and made for the door with Zwei following behind. Her feet stopped just shy of it and she turned around once more.

"Actually, if you want, I can modify your pistol so it can take dust rounds," she said.

His eyes went back to his gun and he thought about her proposal. He only had two magazines of ammo left and after that, he would not be able to use it if what Ruby said about dust based weapons was true. The resources he needed to make more ammunition did not exist on Remnant. He sighed and reached for it. The magazine dropped from the receiver and he ejected the loaded round once more before holding it out for her.

"Just don't lose it, okay? My commander's going to chew me out for losing my rifle," he said.

"I'll take care of it." She smiled back as she took it. "I should have it back to you in a couple of days. I think it just needs a tweak or two and it'll be ready."

"Sounds good. Just let me know how much it costs and I'll pay you back."

He was surprised when Ruby shook her head.

"It's on the house. Besides, I still have to use up my From Dust till Dawn gift card anyway," she said. "If you want to do me a favor, can you watch Zwei for a few days? I'll be busy working on this and he likes attention."

"I can do that. Do you have food or a leash for him?" He nodded at the panting pooch.

"Yep! I'll bring them to class tomorrow if that works for you."

He nodded and Ruby beamed back in thanks. She squatted and scratched the top of the dog's head and he gave a happy bark. She got up and grabbed the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Professor Blackburn," she said.

"Call me Connor. Professor makes me feel like an old man," he replied.

"Well, you are twenty. So you are getting kind of old, Pops."

He gave Ruby a knife hand and put on his best irritated look.

"Don't make me get my walker!"

Ruby blew a raspberry at him and closed the door behind her leaving him and Zwei alone.

That felt good. He finally made a good connection with one of his students and that was a step in the right direction in his eyes.

Zwei gave a small bark and drew his attention. The corgi then scampered into the bedroom and a tired sigh left him. His eyes glanced at the clock and he silently cursed at the time. If he went to bed now he could get at least five hours of sleep, but it was better than none at all. It was like Sergeant Carlson told him and his squad during their hundreds of exercises.

 _"You only need four hours to function."_

He finished the last of his soda and dropped it in the bin beside his desk. He then trudged into the room to find Zwei curled up at the foot of the bed. Not having the energy to shove the corgi off, he just climbed in and his eyes sealed shut the second his head nestled on the pillow. The Sandman worked his magic and he was soon taken to his dreams.

* * *

 **Short, yes, but to be fair, a lot of the chapters have been fairly long. A small chapter tackling one or two topics is just as efficient and less stressful at times. Next time we get to see the ups and downs of training with Winter and Glynda.**

 **Next Chapter: 9/9/2016**


	12. Smoked

**Yeesh, I am a shitbag for failing the deadline for a second time. Screw it, Saturday's work better for me, so I'll update on Saturdays from now on. Anyway, here's the next chapter, so let me know what you think via review so I can improve and make it a better story for your enjoyment. Once again, thanks for the support, follows, and favorites. Let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

 **Goldspark1: Big shout out to you for leaving reviews since you started reading, I really appreciate you take the time to always leave one. Now, it's good you didn't hold me to that update since I failed epically at that again, but this has been forcing me to pump out the chapters faster either way. Blackburn's body wasn't altered with the Aura transfer, but he was in a lot of pain when it happened. All I'll say is that in these types of stories when someone gets power from unnatural means, expect some kinds of hiccups.**

* * *

 _Blackburn saw sky and dust dancing in the air above him. It happened so fast. McDermott going down and then him backing away from the enemy. The shooter was a kid. A kid that was moving for him with a purpose, a cold glare adorning his face. He had given the order for the kid to stop, but it may as well have been an empty threat. Even though his training kicked in to make him follow the rules of engagement, it only made him freeze when he needed to make the necessary step._

 _He found himself unable to pull the trigger on a clear threat in front of him and instead tried to convince him otherwise. Where did that get him? A free shot to the chest, sending him to the ground in a wave of shock._

 _His neck craned up and he could see the kid that shot him now lying spread eagle on the ground, blood pooling near his head. He winced a bit at the sting on his chest. Thank God for plated vests. The bullet was halted in its tracks for what would have been a sure death for him._

 _The realization that he could have been killed for not taking the needed step to survive was surreal._

 _A hand entered his vision and he jumped just a bit, still shaking off the shock. His brown eyes trailed up and he was able to make out Sergeant Carlson's face in the shadow. He looked back at the hand and grabbed it and was hoisted to his feet in a rough pull. The bruise that was forming on his chest throbbed as the vest bumped it._

 _"I just saved your ass," Carlson said in a low tone. "Just what the hell was that?"_

 _He could not look his squad leader in the eye and only shook his head. No words formed to give the man an answer._

 _"You're lucky that you had that vest on, otherwise we'd be calling a CASEVAC for two."_

 _Sergeant Carlson sidestepped him and trudged over to McDermott who had stopped squirming. He then squatted by Harvick and put a firm hand on his shoulder, jostling him from his dazed state. One look was all it took to get him to radio the FOB and relay a SITREP and ask for a CASEVAC._

 _"It was a kid," Blackburn finally found his voice. "I didn't want to kill a kid."_

 _He did not take his eyes off the dead teenager. His eyes took in the boy's state. The body was now limp with one entry wound in the head, yet the boy's hand still clutched the AK as if everything he stood for depended on it. He barely registered Sergeant Carlson's presence to his side._

 _"Listen to me very closely because I don't want to have this conversation with you again, Blackburn," he said._

 _He only gave a light nod to show he was listening to him._

 _"There are a lot of grey areas out here and this is one of them. It's true that killing kids can land you in Leavenworth, but if something like this happens, it's fair game," Carlson continued._

 _He shook his head in denial. Killing adult men was one thing, but killing a kid who took up arms for a cause he did not fully understand? How was that fair game?_

 _"That kid forfeited his right as a civilian the second he turned that gun on you. You did exactly what you were supposed to with the ROE. Those rules are there to keep you out of trouble like this, and you were justified to defend yourself."_

 _He flinched when he felt Sergeant Carlson's hand grip his shoulder tightly._

 _"Think about that, because next time you may not be so lucky. What you do out here will determine whether or not you get to go home in one piece," he said._

 _Carlson let go of him and his footsteps died under the gust of wind. The remainder of their squad began to get into position to set up security and wait for the CASEVAC._

 _Blackburn silently mulled over the words the old sergeant hit him with, his eyes still fixed on the teenager. The words were harsh and as much as he wanted to dismiss them, they continued to lurk. The cold reality was that the man's words were true. He caught a lucky break that his squad was there to act when he failed to make that important decision._

 _His life or the enemy's? The teen had made up his mind and could have succeeded in killing him if his aim was just a little higher, and the dull throb on his chest was a grim reminder of that. His jaw clenched tight and his rifle shook in his hands._

 _"Blackburn, help me pick up McDermott," said Harvick._

 _He finally tore his eyes away from the dead boy in front of him and then glanced to Harvick who had the litter ready to carry McDermott. His feet carried him over to his fallen friend and he knelt by his head._

 _The blood that had been streaming from his neck had steadied. It had dried and turned into a thin, crusty layer. McDermott's eyes were closed, almost giving the impression that he was just sleeping after another long day, but that hope was dashed with the blood that was around his mouth. He was gone._

 _Blackburn rubbed his jaw and his throat tightened. He looked away and felt something wet trickle down his face and cling to his chin. He could feel the tear dangling before it fell, leaving the salty streak behind to burn in the blistering sun._

 _"Connor, come on. We need to move," said Harvick._

 _He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He slung his rifle and he lifted McDermott up by the arms and Harvick took his legs. They gently set him on the litter and lifted it up. Neither of them said a word as they walked back to the HMMWVs._

Blackburn's eyes cracked open and he stared into the darkness of his room. The moonlight from his window was nearly gone as night began to turn to day. A small cadence of breath brushed against his leg from his furry companion.

His hand reached for his scroll on the bedside table and he opened it to check the time. A grimace came to his lips. He had half an hour before his alarm was set to ring and with the way it was going now, he would not be able to fall back asleep. If he was to be honest with himself, he did not want to fall asleep again. It would just take him back to relive those past nightmares he had seen time and again.

He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Despite the short period of sleep, he felt wide awake and refreshed. His hand reached forward and his fingertips gently scratched the back of Zwei's ears, earning a low groan and a leg twitch from the corgi.

"Alright LT, let's see what you got for me today," he said, swinging his legs out of the sheets.

* * *

True to her word, Winter had arranged for a Bullhead to pick him up near the port at the front of the academy. The flight up to the ship was quick and the second the ship touched down in the bay, she was waiting for him. She led him down the familiar corridors they traveled each time he had come on board and to a large sealed door near the elevator that led to the laboratories.

The doors opened with a hiss and lights snapped on a second later. The room was the size of a small condo. A large sparring mat took up most of the floor save for a couple rows of tiles that stopped just before it. Two benches sat on the tiles, and there were five lockers against the wall.

"So, what are we going to do?" Blackburn looked at Winter. "Grappling? Smoke sessions? Fight till we drop?"

The smirk on Winter's face grew as she turned her icy eyes to him.

"Let's see where you stand after the warm up before we get carried away," she said.

She shed her jacket and neatly folded it before setting it on the bench. This was the first time that Blackburn had seen her in less formal attire. She was now suited for a workout. She had a dark grey tank top and white shorts.

Her form was what one could expect for a soldier. Her arms and legs were not bulging by any means, but the lean definition was there. There was hardly a trace of body fat on her, and she looked ready to face whatever challenge that was thrown at her.

"I can handle whatever you got," he answered with a knowing grin.

"We'll see about that," she said with a light shrug.

Quick as a flash, she dashed forward and crashed into him. The surprise hit stunned him and sent him stumbling back to the mat. He hit it with a hard thud and looked back up at her with a glare, but only got a smirk in return. She was going to enjoy every second of tiring him out and sending him through the ringer, but he would not give her the luxury of enjoying it.

He scrambled to his feet and assumed a guard, his eyes sharp for any movement. This only made the lieutenant raise a brow in mild amusement as she stepped on to the mat.

"Good. You always want to be ready to counter your enemy," she said.

"This is routine for me." He shook his head.

"Then that makes my job easier. So try to keep up."

Winter did not make a move to attack him again, this time calling him to attention. She then began the warm up like she promised. Needless to say, the specialist was glad that he was in as good as shape. The lieutenant was ruthless with her warm up which she had set for a half hour before they began the real training.

Every PT and smoke session he had been exposed to while he was in the Army made him resilient to tolerate it, but it was very brutal. Every possible exercise that he had been exposed to had been listed off by Winter for him to perform. Albeit different names, he was able to recognize what she was getting at after a quick demonstration.

One exercise after the next made his muscles flare in protest. Every burpee, push up, sit up, bear crawl, lunge, squat, pull up, inchworm, and sprint. Each one hit him hard and it did not take long for his muscles to start cramping and screaming in protest. Even though the discomfort it brought made him clench his teeth in determination to fight through it, he did not give up.

When the alarm sounded to signal the warm up's end, he stood upright and rested his hands at the back of his head. His heart pounded like a drum and sweat trickled down his face and stained his shirt. This woman knew how to bring the pain with a smoke session and he would go so far as to say it was the most challenging one he had, and that was saying something. He experienced dozens of them with his unit during PT and during basic, and although they were always a killer, this one in particular left his entire body feeling like jelly.

"You're still standing. I'm a little impressed that you held out as long as you did," said Winter. "Most of the soldiers I do this to can't make it more than fifteen minutes."

"Well, I was the strongest one in my squad." He panted out. "I'll give you credit, though. This was probably the toughest smoke session I had."

"Thank you. Before we go on, let's discuss Aura."

Aura was the manifestation of one's soul. It had the capability to be called upon to act as a shield from otherwise deadly attacks and could make all the difference in life and death. Aura would serve to protect their user until it reached zero and was shattered, and by that point it would render one no different than someone from Earth. Some individuals had larger levels compared to others and were capable of lasting longer in a fight and often times had a powerful Semblance to accompany it.

In Blackburn's case, Hector had a normal level much like many others. He would be no different from the average Huntsman, but it would all boil down to how he fought and how he preserved his Aura to face an enemy and emerge victorious.

"Since this is our first session, we will do this," Winter began as she stretched out her arms. "We will have short spar sessions until one of us has our Aura shattered. Each round will go until one of us has hit the other three times."

"Fine with me, LT," said Blackburn bringing up his guard. "Don't hold back."

Winter sunk into her own stance and had her fists up.

"Don't get cocky." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't think you're ready for that kind of skill."

"Train like you fight. Show me what you got," he answered her.

"If you insist."

Just like the start of the training, Winter shot forth in a blur of white that made her almost impossible to track. She was soon upon him and had her fist back for a punch, but he managed to see it. When she drove her arm forward he sidestepped the attack and went for a hook of his own, but it was quickly blocked by the her free hand.

Winter caught his arm in an arm bar and brought her fist back once more. Her hips shifted and sent the power into her punch. He tilted his head just enough to avoid it, but he could feel the air move violently around the spot it was just a second ago. Thinking fast he brought his knee up for a strike, but was surprised when Winter blocked it with her own.

His feet left the ground when Winter turned just enough to knock him off balance. In doing so, he lost his hold on her arm and gave her the chance to strike again. It was a fast hit and all he saw was stars as they burst in front of his eyes. Her punch hit him square in the nose and made his head snap back from the sheer force. A cry of surprise and pain tore from his throat and he blinked rapidly to dismiss the blurry vision. He regained his composure just enough to see a kick going for his side.

He ducked under her arm and heard her hiss as her arm twisted beyond its limit and made her let him go. The narrow escape gave him time to put space between himself and the strong lieutenant. He had been watching her moves closely and came to two obvious, yet important notes. The first was that Winter was very fast, and the second was that she could pack a hefty hit when pushed. With that in mind, he knew he needed to switch up his strategy to stand a chance to land a hit on the woman.

Taking the chance, he charged at her with his guard up and went in with a jab. His punch was easily deflected along with his follow up jab. He ducked just in time to avoid a spin kick for his head. He felt the cool air whoosh above him and it made the hair on his neck stand on end.

Winter slid forward and balanced on one leg to give a roundhouse kick. His arm throbbed just a bit when he blocked it and pushed it away to knock her off balance.

"Got you!" He lunged forward with a grin.

His grin was soon wiped from his face when the white haired woman dropped to the ground with incredible flexibility in the splits. Her rear arm driving up with an uppercut that connected with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. His eyes went wide as he sputtered for breath, but he did not have much time to comprehend what happened.

Winter shot to her feet, spun on her heel and delivered a hard kick to his head. White spots flashed in his eyes and he went stiff as a board before falling to the mat with a hard thump.

His arms and legs lay limply and his eyes remained screwed shut as he tried to block out the pain that was quickly becoming a migraine. He did not dare to open his eyes when he felt Winter kneel on the ground beside him. Knowing her, she had a triumphant smirk on her flawless face.

"I win," her voice carried a hum with it.

He could only grunt back a reply as he opened his eyes to see her bare feet before him.

"You know, even though you failed, you held your own for a bit," she said.

"Thanks," he said getting to his knees. "Let's go again."

Winter merely held up a hand, her mouth in a thin line.

"Conserve your energy. We still have a lot of time before our training is done," she said.

With a sigh, he conceded to the lieutenant. "Fine."

"Let's take a short break and give you time to recover." She nodded at the benches.

He pushed himself up and straightened his back with a loud crack. Next came his neck and shoulders. He then trudged over to the bench and plopped down, unscrewing the bottle of water he brought and taking a long gulp from it. The cool beverage soothed his dry, sore throat and he took it a step further by pouring some of the contents on his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blackburn could see Winter taking a long sip from her bottle as well. It was almost funny to see her drink from it with the same poise and grace that she used to walk. Her face had some beads of sweat trickling down it and her bangs clung to her face.

He shook his head and took another drink, looking at the mat and reciting what the woman beside him had said about Aura. There was still a lot that he had to learn and she and Glynda would be there to guide him. It was a fascinating concept and now that he had the ability to be a superhuman like the rest of the Huntsmen, he wanted to milk every form of training he get for what it was worth.

The silence between them was peaceful and nowhere near as awkward or filled with tension like their previous encounters. It was a nice change of pace much to his relief.

"So, how exactly did you join the Atlas Military?" He asked to break the ice. "Did you become a lieutenant through ROTC, OCS training, or was it something else?"

Winter turned to him with an arched brow, clearly surprised with the random and friendly question. She steeled herself before answering back calmly.

"No, I didn't do any of that. I was selected by General Ironwood himself when I was going through Phoebe Academy. In Remnant, Huntsmen in training go through a preliminary school to learn the basics of combat, Aura and Semblance for four years. Once they complete the preliminary school, they can move on to a more advanced school to train and become a professional."

"Oh, I see. So what makes Phoebe Academy different?" He replied.

"Nothing, really. The difference with Phoebe is that since it is Atlas based it opens the path to two possible careers after students graduate. One being Mantle Academy which is a Huntsmen academy in Atlas, the second would be the Atlas Military."

"Okay. And you said that Ironwood recruited you himself?"

Winter nodded back, a small smile on her face. It wasn't one of arrogance, but one of fondness. It was genuine and it really made her look more approachable and happy than the many other times he had seen her. Definitely an improvement from the trademark scowl she usually bore.

The lieutenant recounted her story with the utmost pride in her voice, but he did not find it a turn off. If he were to be honest, he would brag about that to anyone who would listen. It was almost unheard of for a general to do something like that.

General Ironwood had been on a routine inspection of Phoebe Academy. Being headmaster of Mantle Academy as well as head of the Atlas Military, he had to make sure his incoming prospects and his school was exceeding the standards with the potential talent they had. During his visit he had dropped by Winter's class when they were in the middle of a combat exam as a final test before graduation.

During the exam, Winter was going against two of the other top five students in her class. Her fight was challenging and it made her work, but in the end she came out the victor with just under half of her Aura remaining. She had used her Semblance to take both of her opponents on in the fight and it worked out in her favor. Not only did she pass with flying colors, but she also shattered the Aura of both combatants.

After her fight, General Ironwood approached her after the class and mentioned that he had watched her entire match and was very impressed with the way she carried herself and used her Semblance to win. He had also taken a long look at her marks throughout the years of her being in the academy. She had always been at the top of her class and her skills in leadership stood out.

"I accepted the offer of becoming an officer when he suggested it to me without hesitation and I have no regrets in doing so," she finished with a smile.

Blackburn nodded in silent agreement, not sure what to say.

"Were your parents proud of you?" He looked back at her.

The smile on Winter's face was quick to fall into a thin line. Her eyes fell to the floor and her posture stiffened. The water battle in her hand crinkled a bit from the tight grip she put on it.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something sensitive," Blackburn tried to salvage the moment.

"It's fine. You didn't know." Winter dismissed it with a sigh. "My mother died when I was young, so she didn't see me become who I am today, but my father…"

Blackburn paid close attention to the woman's tone. The way she trailed off at the mention of the man was more than enough to paint a picture of where the conversation was going. A mother no longer in the picture and a relationship with a father who was more than displeased with her choice of career.

"My father was very adamant from the beginning on me becoming the heiress to inherit the SDC," she continued.

"SDC?" He spoke up.

"Schnee Dust Company. Our family has made its history and fortune over manufacturing and selling dust to Huntsmen and vendors alike."

He nodded which was her cue to continue her story.

"As I was saying, my father wanted me to inherit the company and carry on the legacy. He was always busy doing something to make that a reality, whether it was business to set me up or if it was to train me in management, manners, and fighting. Everything was laid out for me, yet he never took what I wanted to do into consideration. Everything with him is always the company first and family second."

He said nothing as he listened to her story. Her father as a man of control and structure. Everything needed to be perfect, whether it was his business or the future of his daughters. Whatever he thought was best for them only drove the two of them away to pursue their own goals.

"I grew tired of him trying to run my life, so I stood up and told him what I really wanted to do," she said.

"And that was to join the military?" He looked at her.

"Not at first. I wanted to be my own person. To create my own identity and live my life the way I wanted and not be seen as just a Schnee, but as a woman who made a name for herself that did not involve a simple handoff from her father."

"That's understandable."

"Father was not pleased. He let me make my decision and instead shifted his attention to Weiss to make her the heiress to the fortune instead. We've been on shaky terms since then. I made my decision to join the military when I entered Phoebe Academy because I felt it was a better fit for me in terms of structure."

The specialist nodded, understanding where the young lieutenant came from perfectly. His respect for the woman grew a little bit. It took a lot of nerve to stand up to a parent like that and that was where he and her differed greatly. The two of them in fact had some common ground in how they got to where they were today. Each chose the military, but for different reasons.

Winter took another long drink from her bottle. He soon felt her eyes on him. They were narrowed just a bit as she eyed him up and down.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Excuse me?" He met her gaze again.

"How did you join the military?"

He scratched the stubble under his chin. He was not big on talking about his home life growing up, namely because in his eyes it gave off a bad first impression. Especially with how it landed him where he was.

"Well, whether you believe it or not, you and I have something in common," he answered back. "I didn't exactly have an apple pie life at home, either."

"Go on." She gave a small nod.

"I'm an only child to two parents who married shortly after finishing high school. Mom got pregnant with me when she was eighteen and Dad was scared shitless. So his method to try and find a better living for our family was to join the Army for active duty because the benefits it brought financially would help a lot."

His father joined the Army in nineteen ninety-four and left his wife behind to go through Basic Training and OSUT. It put a bit of a strain on their relationship since he was not there to help her throughout the pregnancy.

"Fast forward nine months, Dad's finished with OSUT and gets back just in time for me to be born," he continued with a smile. "He and Mom made up for the lost time and got six months together with me before he went on his first deployment."

Like he said earlier, his father joined the military to keep to his promise to provide a better lifestyle for him and his mother. It was all about the family at first and although it was difficult to be away for long periods of time, they still stuck together like glue, something that was very hard nowadays for any married military personnel. Times change, and that is exactly what happened with his father over his first deployment.

When his father came back from being deployed, the life between him and his mother picked up where it left off, but his goals had become a little more personal. The military had become more than just a financial point for him. He had grown to love it and wanted to make it a career. His mother, albeit supportive of his goal, brought up her concerns about him not being able to be around a lot as he grew up.

"So, Dad is all gung-ho about being a soldier and starts taking whatever offers he can get to further his career. Ranger School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, you name it. Everything that he wanted to do, he did it without hesitation and in time he became a decorated NCO," he said.

"Ambition is always a good quality in a man," said Winter. "I don't see the common ground with us yet, though."

"I was getting to that, just hang on."

Winter nodded for him to continue.

"Dad eventually went through SF selection and became part of the U.S. Army's Special Forces unit Delta Force in early two thousand one, and this is just before everything started to go downhill. September that same year our country was attacked by a group of terrorists causing the deaths of thousands that resulted in us declaring war. Dad, being SF, gets the call to go in before all the fighting to learn the terrain, the enemy, establish connections, and all that good stuff."

By this point in his life, he was old enough to know that his father would leave for months at a time to, as his mother put it, "Keep us and our country safe." He saw it happen again, and again, and again. Each time his father left him and his mother behind, he was able to see firsthand the difficulty it brought them. His mother had to raise him by herself like she had for the majority of his life, and although his father was in his life, he never felt like a true father figure.

His absence had left a bit of a hole and because of that, he sought solace in less than admirable acts. He often times got into trouble for fights at school, he did not focus much on his academics, and he even began to ignore his mother.

"I never understood it." He shook his head. "I never understood why my dad left home to keep on fighting. For the longest time I thought he just loved the military more than us, so I did everything I could to get his attention whenever he got back, which landed me in lots of trouble."

"You acted like a brat to get your father's attention and to keep him home?" Winter rose a brow. "That's childish."

"Yeah, and there was one time it got ugly."

"How so?"

"I called him out one night after he caught me drinking. Words were exchanged, then we started trading hits."

Winter's eyes widened just a bit at the revelation, but soon returned to their normal state.

"Dad got two good hits on me and gave me a stern lecture I will never forget," said Blackburn.

"What did he say?" She asked.

"Pretty much told me I was a piece of shit and that if I didn't get sorted out soon, I was going to land in prison. He then said that he loved both me and Mom, but he also loved his brothers that he served with."

"I see…"

Silence fell between the two of them again. He waited for Winter to absorb the words of his story before speaking.

"I know that Dad said he loved me and all that, but I never felt I truly had his respect or that he was really proud of me. I mean, you got a respected man that's loved by everyone, then you look at me who is the exact opposite giving my family a bad name."

"So, you joined the military like he did to earn his respect?" She pieced it together.

"Hit the nail on the head. So, there's the common ground between you and me. Both of us joined because of our dads, although your reason is more respectable than mine."

Winter said nothing, but a frown came upon her face. He half expected her to deny them being similar in any way despite having something in common. She did it for herself and to be recognized as her own person whereas he did it to impress his father. It was true that every soldier joined the military for their own reasons be it selfish or selflessness, but at the end of the day, they were all part of the same brotherhood that took the oath to defend their country and each other.

"Regardless if your reason for joining was not the best, it was a good decision," said Winter. "You seem to have your life organized and a goal you want to reach, correct?"

"Yeah, for the most part." He nodded.

"Then that's all that matters. As long as you have a purpose in life, you will always succeed."

He let out a light grunt in acknowledgement. Their entire conversation had been civil and it even led the young lieutenant to give him some of the best advice he ever heard. The bench next to him creaked as Winter stood up and did a quick stretch. She clicked her tongue after glancing at the time before turning back to him.

"Back to work. We talked longer than we should have, so we'll continue training from here on and only drink water when we need it," she said.

"Whatever you say, LT." He got to his feet.

The training continued with them picking off where they left off from their first spar. Winter kept the rules the same with three hits being the end of the fight, and each time she had won.

Blackburn had been able to keep up with her for the most part, but she was still way too fast for him to get an edge on her. It did not help that she was very coordinated and flexible to the point that a gymnast would be seething in jealousy. Every spin, every kick, every punch was timed perfectly and she had been able to defy the impossible and land a hit on him where a normal person would not.

He was both excited at facing someone more challenging than Sergeant Carlson, and at the same time, emasculated. The lieutenant had more than driven home the point that women were accomplished fighters, even more so in this universe he was in.

A long breath escaped his nostrils as he rolled to his side in a fetal position, nursing the hit to his stomach. His eyes cracked open and he could see Winter's smirk still present, the sweat on her face shone brightly in the light.

"Get up. You have at least one round left in you," she said.

He did not have a witty retort for the woman as he slowly got to his feet. One more round to go before the session was done and he wanted nothing more than to land at least one hit on her like he did the night they met. He had taken enough beatings from her that morning to the point he was confident he could get at least one hit.

Blackburn took a deep breath and let whatever frustration that had built inside of him out slowly die. He clenched his fists and brought them up towards his face, his eyes focused on Winter. She did the same and the two of them stared each other down. When she gave the nod, he made his move.

Rather than standing back and waiting for her, he changed up his tactics. He closed the gap between them with a jab that she sidestepped with ease. His eyes stayed on her as she ducked left and moved towards his blind spot. Once her foot was planted, she moved to get in his guard. He jumed back and then lifted his leg giving a thrust.

His thrust kick was easily parried by her arm and she followed up with a shove to knock him off balance. He fell to the mat and rolled just in time to avoid an axe kick to his back. Back on his feet he crept close to her again, his breath picking up with each passing second. He drove forward with another jab and then brought his knee up for a strike. Both were blocked by the woman's hands and she took the opening for her first hit.

His eyes screwed shut from yet another hard punch to his chest that was now bruised. He narrowly dodged the roundhouse for his head and waited for her leg to sail around. With her back exposed he moved to trap her, but was stunned yet again. Her foot touched the ground and she leaned forward while kicking with her rear leg. Her icy eyes were glaring back at him as she hoped to see her foot connect with his face like it did so many times before.

Blackburn's reflexes kicked in at the last second and he leaned back just enough to avoid it. The air brushed his face from the force of the kick. His hand shot up and grabbed her heel before throwing it up. He hoped that would have been enough to send the lieutenant to the ground, but her coordination proved strong when she caught herself with her hands and did a handspring to her feet again.

The woman was truly something else. Her form was almost flawless and any opening he got, she managed to fool him or counter his strikes. A small smirk played on her lips as she resumed her fighting stance and waited for him to move again. When he did not, he saw her body tense and immediately knew what was coming.

White hair met his vision as Winter dashed at him using her raw speed and got under his arms. He gripped her shoulders to keep her from landing a punch, but her head shot up for a headbutt towards his chin. He turned his head just enough to avoid the hit and her felt her hair caress his face from the near miss.

His leg shifted and he planted it between hers. He turned his hips and knocked her off balance with a hip check, sending her rolling to the floor. Her iron grip was strong enough to pull him with and soon both of them had a grapple on each other. His hand had a fistful of her shirt's collar and the other a tight grip on her hip. Her hands had gripped both sides of his collar in a crisscross hold and she turned her knuckles in.

The blood in his head suddenly rushed from the choke hold and he immediately released his hold on her to break her grip. He wrapped one arm tight around one of hers and his free hand went for her chin. He lifted up and the pressure in Winter's arm became too much, forcing her to let him go. Air flooded his lungs and he broke free, but did not get away unscathed.

Winter was just as fast on the floor than on her feet. She swung her legs up to get to her feet with her foot out just far enough to smash into his cheek, dazing him once again.

A growl of frustration left his lips and he turned his gaze back to the white-haired woman. She was upon him once again with her knee coming up to deliver the final hit. He dropped to his back and dodged the strike. His leg stuck out and he spun on the floor. A surprised grunt met his ears when his foot knocked Winter's out from under her and sent her back to the ground.

He pounced at her and straddled her stomach with his arm back. His fist flew forth and he felt a wicked grin spread across his face when his knuckles finally made contact against her cheek. She turned her head to look back at him and her icy glare hit him full force.

He wasted no time in relishing the successful hit and went for another, but his wrist was caught by Winter. With a sharp press and twist, his wrist flared up in sharp pain and he was guided to the floor. Soon the tables were turned and she was straddled on his chest, her knees digging into his armpits to keep him from pushing her off. He brought his arms up to protect his face, but it was all in vain.

Winter batted his guard away with a sweep of her arm and her free hand was brought back. With a battle filled cry, she struck his forehead with her open palm.

His eyes snapped shut and his jaw clenched at the sharp pain it brought. The word baseball came to mind as he felt his brain bounce forward, smack the front of his skull and then to the back as his head smacked into the cool mat. Game over.

He did not dare open his eyes to keep them from the stinging pain of the light. Instead he opted to catch whatever breath he had as he laid there with Winter keeping him in place. He could hear her breathing just as hard.

"Don't let your guard down," she said through her breaths. "You may have an Aura now, but don't forget your basic instincts."

Blackburn let out a grunt and finally opened his eyes. Winter was still sitting on his chest, cheeks flushed from the heat, hair askew and clinging to her face.

"Can you get off me, please?" He asked.

She perked up and got to her feet, offering him a hand. He took it and she gently pulled him up before making her way to the bench.

He followed suit and picked up his water bottle before chugging down the remaining contents. That was one of the most challenging and effective workout in his life. One thing was for sure, Winter Schnee knew how to get results.

"Since your Aura was shattered in that last fight, we'll call it a day. We'll go again in two days to give you time to recover," she said as she picked up her bottle and her coat.

"Sounds good, LT." He raised a hand.

"Lieutenant."

"Hmm?"

"Customs and courtesies, Specialist Blackburn. It's a title, so don't butcher it."

He blinked and rolled his eyes. She had tolerated it all the way up to that point, but if she wanted to be addressed that way, he would honor her request. It was a hit and miss with calling a lieutenant "LT." Some lieutenants did not mind and accepted it and there were some that made it a point to have the title respected, which was understandable.

"Okay, okay, Lieutenant Schnee. I'll humor you," he replied.

"Thank you." She smiled. "Come. Let's get you back to the hangar so you can prepare for your class."

* * *

The day could not have gone by any slower for Blackburn after his training with Winter. He had been filled with energy after the workout, but his body had betrayed him. He had to sit down and observe the matches that Glynda had scheduled for the day as opposed to standing like he usually did. Winter had brought the hate and he left feeling sore as hell. By the end of class he was ready to crawl back into bed and go to sleep, but that was not to be.

Glynda had dragged him to her office to talk with him about their upcoming training the next day. While hers would not be as physically demanding as Winter's, she wanted him to be ready for some light exercises to practice using his Aura.

"While Miss Schnee will help you with the concept of combat along with myself, I will be giving you a more technical approach on how to call upon your Aura properly. Remember, the more you practice using it, the sooner it can activate your Semblance," she said placing a cup of tea in front of him.

"I had a question about that, actually," he said taking a sip of tea. "Since I have someone else's Aura in me, does that mean I'll have his Semblance? Or will it adapt to fit me as a person?"

Glynda set her cup back down and offered him a small smile.

"A good question, but no, your Semblance will be your own. We gave your Hector's Aura, but in theory it should respond to your character and provide you with your own unique power," she answered back.

He nodded and gulped down the rest of his tea. The comforting warmth briefly relaxed his aching muscles as he sat back in the chair.

His mind began to wander while he thought about Glynda's answer. What would his Semblance be? He knew from some of the reading he did when he first arrived on Remnant that Semblances could be either offensive or defensive, but it would always provide the user with some form of trump card during a fight if it came down to it.

Not only that, but he was curious to what it could be. He felt like he knew what kind of person he was, but he would not truly know his true nature until he saw his Semblance for himself.

"I think you should go and get some rest. I want you to be ready to train tomorrow, and the more rest you get, the more Aura you'll recover," said Glynda.

"Yes, Ma'am!" He gave her a salute.

He got to his feet and let out a hiss as his muscles tightened and flared again.

"Fuckin' ouch!"

* * *

 **So we get a look at Blackburn's first training session in testing his Aura and endurance with Winter... and getting the crap kicked out of him repeatedly. Although he did not do well against Winter, he'll only improve from here on in. Check out the stuff below, and I'll see you all next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Schedule is still set for bi-weekly release, but will now be on Saturdays. Next update 9/24/16**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 9/10/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 9/4/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **CASEVAC: Casualty Evacuation**

 **NCO: Non Commissioned Officer**

 **LT: Short term for Lieutenant**

 **FOB: Forward Operating Base**

 **SITREP: Situation Report**

 **ROTC: Reserve Officer Training Corps**

 **OCS: Officer Candidate School**

 **OSUT: One Station Unit Training**

 **Basic Training: The initial entry training from being a civilian and being strengthened both physically and mentally to become a soldier.**


	13. Field

**Here's the late chapter, once again. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, I really appreciate it when you take the time to say something, so please continue saying things to help me improve my writing. Once again, thanks for the support on the story here. Now, let's get on with it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

 **Goldspark1: I made it a point to show that Blackburn was not OP since I knew that would be an immediate turn off, so I made sure that he was getting thrashed by everyone he fights. I'm aware that Winter fighters with her sword, but I want to make her more versatile since in the likelihood that you are disarmed, you need a secondary approach to survive an encounter. Now regarding your hope that Blackburn continues to struggle, he will and I'm not sure how long you were thinking, but if I have him struggle for almost the whole story until he gets it figured out at the end, it almost makes him useless, so I need to give him some victories along the way. Thanks again for the review.**

 **KyranKandosa: You know, I'm sure I saw your reviews on a couple of these stories and I was honestly wondering if you drop it on mine, this time I can say you did, haha. Well, I agree with that for the most part, but I did not do that because of the plot I drafted for the story. I also felt that if he had an Aura so soon and that it was noted, it may make him seem OP at first glance. Nevertheless, I agree with what you said and thank you for the review.**

 **OnesidedBias: Thanks for the compliment. Now, I have come up with his Semblance and it will be revealed soon enough, but I made sure to nerf it to a believable thing to make sure people won't find it OP. It may still be considered OP, but it will be seen soon.**

 **TopHatGuy: Well, given everything that you read so far, what do you think? Action is where I thrive in my story telling.**

* * *

Ruby sat at her desk, humming to herself with a smile on her face. She always enjoyed working on her little projects when she got the time and it was very hard for her to not smile while doing so. Her feet slowly bobbed back and forth to the beat of the music that was playing low enough to not disturb Weiss who was absorbed in studying for Professor Port's upcoming test.

The light on her desk shone brightly on the M9 pistol that Blackburn let her take to modify. Finding the parts to upgrade the pistol to take dust rounds was easy, and she was glad it was such a simple fix. It was just an easy change of the barrel. The material it was made of was strong, but any form of dust round would have made it burst. Thankfully the barrel replacement was cheap and allowed her to use the rest of the money on her gift card to purchase some ammo.

"And done!" She beamed, letting the slide snap forward.

She squared her shoulders and steadily aimed the pistol at an imaginary Grimm. Her finger slowly pulled back and a fresh click sounded in the dorm room.

"Good, now you can get back to studying!" Weiss turned to her. "Your grades could still use some work."

The little reaper poked her tongue out in defiance and cocked the pistol again and flipped the safety on, setting it back on her desk. She sighed and got out of her chair and moved over to her partner with her notebook in hand and unceremoniously dropped it on her desk before plopping down in the vacant seat.

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen!" Weiss shot her a look.

"You're the drama queen, you…" she tried to chide back, but ultimately failed. "Drama queen."

"Good one. Now, can you please get serious, Ruby?"

Ruby sighed again and nodded before opening her notebook to the first page of relevant notes to the test. Her silver eyes skimmed it, not really taking in the information as her mind began to wander again.

"Ruby, were you even listening to what I just asked you?" Weiss leaned back in her chair.

"Sorry," she sheepishly replied, "what were you asking me?"

Her partner let out a small sigh and looked back at her.

"The question was, "How soon does someone need an anti-venom if they are struck by a Death Stalker's tail?"

"Oh, uh, right!" Ruby perked up. "The victim needs it within a minute if they want to survive."

"Precisely. Well done."

Weiss cast her eyes back to her notebook to pluck another question that she was sure would be asked on the test. She also had to make sure it challenged Ruby. She was kind enough to give her a somewhat easy question off the bat, but now it was time to see if her partner was truly paying attention like she claimed she was in class.

Meanwhile, Yang and Blake were lying on their respective beds. The blonde brawler was reading a magazine and her partner was silently reading another thick novel.

"Sooo, Blakey," Yang began as she dropped the magazine to her side.

"Hmm?" Was the short comeback from the Faunus.

"You were really trying to pull some information from Professor Blackburn earlier this week."

Blake's eyes stopped midsentence. The question was not one she was expecting, but she would not give her partner the luxury of catching her off guard with it. Her eyes cast down to the sentence she left off at and began to read once more.

"He was asking us if we had any questions for him, so I took the chance," she answered coolly.

"Uh huh, yeah, but still…" The blonde shifted on her bed to peer down at her. Her golden hair cascading off the side like a waterfall. "They were pretty personal."

"It's always good to know a little bit about those around you."

Again, she easily countered back the response from her partner. Where was this coming from all of a sudden? She shifted on her bed and turned away from Yang's curious eyes. Although she could not see it, she was sure that the blonde had a teasing smirk on her face.

"You had a lot of questions you could have asked him, you know?" Yang shrugged.

"This should be good," she said with a small roll of her eyes.

"I mean, you could have asked if he had a girlfriend. You could have asked him what he does on a free night…"

Blake scoffed and tried to shut out her partner's playful tone. Leave it to her to say something like that just to get a laugh or rise out of her. Try as she might, this only spurred to make the blonde speak a little louder to keep her from concentrating on the novel in her hands.

Her brow furrowed in irritation and she glared down at the text on the page, having lost her spot.

"But out of everything, you asked him about killing someone?" Yang finished with a click of her tongue.

The book in her hands shook as she pinched it tightly between her fingers. All of her focus was now gone and she peered over her shoulder and cast a heated glance at the blonde.

"What's your point?" She growled out.

Yang hopped off the top bunk and landed by hers with her hands up.

"Sheesh, hostile much?" She sat down beside her. The blonde sighed again and the smile on her face was replaced with a thin line of neutrality. "I just wanted to know why you were so eager to know about that."

Her fingers snapped her book shut and she set it beside her. She turned around in her bed to face Yang who showed no signs of dropping the subject until she answered her question. Sometimes her partner's stubborn nature was a faster trigger to irritate her than having her peace and quiet disrupted by whatever force the universe decided to throw at her next.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her arms on them, remaining silent to come up with an answer in an attempt to shake the blonde from her.

"I just wanted to know," she answered back. "He just seems to be holding a lot of stuff back from us."

"So?" Yang challenged, lying on her side. "It's not like he has to share every secret he has."

Blake grimaced and her fingers dug into her shorts. That was true, and she could understand that more than anyone, but it did not change the facts.

Ever since his prompt arrival, Blackburn seemed to be only telling them certain things about his past. All she knew about the young professor was that he was a soldier, enjoyed doing outdoor activities in his spare time, and that he killed a handful of people. How were they to know if everything he said was true?

Trust? That was something that was earned, not given. Sure, he gave tips and pointers in class, treated every student with respect and all of that, she could see it. Spending a lot of years in the White Fang gave her a good amount of skills she took pride in, and one of them was reading people.

She could see the front that Blackburn put up when he was around them, but she could see the distant gaze his eyes would adopt while watching spars.

"Look, all I'm saying is that it's just weird." She looked back at Yang. "I mean, this guy just shows up out of nowhere for starters. Suddenly Glynda's saying he's a new addition to the staff. He knows a lot about fighting and if what he said is true, he has killed people."

"What are you trying to say?" Yang rose a brow. "Because I'm getting the feeling you think he's a spy or something."

When Blake said nothing, the blonde's brow rose to the point of disappearing into her bangs.

"Seriously?" Yang sat up.

She remained silent and her amber eyes slowly looked up. She could see that Weiss and Ruby had stopped talking and resorted to read their notebooks instead, but she knew they were listening closely to their conversation. Her fingers lightly tapped her legs and she let out a small sigh.

"Look, I'm not saying he's a spy, but I'm trying to think practically here," she said. "We hardly know anything about him, but he's being welcomed by everyone with ease. In case you haven't noticed, crime has gone down since the Breach. What better way to try and work around the security by using other means of stealth?"

Yang shook her head, her blonde locks dancing with each sway.

"Even so, why would the White Fang trust a human? Sure, they cooperated with Roman, but they didn't trust the guy. He had some kind of leverage with them to get that far."

"I didn't say it was the White Fang using him, but it's still a possibility. It wouldn't be the first time they used a human to get the advantage of a situation, and if you think about it, they may try to get some form of revenge on Beacon after we stopped them during the Breach," she said.

Her frown grew when she saw the rest of her team looking back at her with uncertainty. She knew she had their attention with the point she wanted to make, but they were hesitant to accept it, which was understandable given the fact it was just a blind assumption. Yet at the same time, it was plausible. If she were still in the White Fang and wanted to get some form of payback, she'd exploit the best resource she could and what better way than to hire the last person that would be expected to break some form of trust?

If Blackburn was in fact a spy for the White Fang or some other crime organization, the only reason he'd be at Beacon would be to find their weaknesses or alert them of possible missions that could hamper their goals.

"I see where you're coming from," Weiss finally said, garnering surprised looks from Yang and Ruby.

The quick attention made her hold up a hand to show she was not finished with what she wanted to say.

"The timing is noteworthy, but I think you may be looking too into this. He said he comes from a land far outside the kingdoms which would make organizations hesitant to use him. I'm sure Ozpin and Glynda wouldn't let him teach here if they didn't trust him."

"Yeah!" Ruby piped in with a nod. "He's pretty cool! He's actually taking care of Zwei as a trade for me modifying his pistol to take dust rounds!"

Her last remark made the team shift their gazes to her. She looked between each of them with a somewhat confused look.

"What?" She asked.

"Why did you offer to do that?" Blake asked.

"Because once he uses the rest of his ammo for it he won't be able to use it anymore. I just wanted to help him out since he found Zwei."

Blake opened her mouth to speak, but closed it. She only shook her head at the quick and innocent response from her leader. Although she would not say it out loud, she felt it was foolish of her to quickly give her trust to someone and help find a way to keep himself protected in a sticky situation. Giving a potential threat the advantage was fatal mistake.

"Look, he's really not a bad guy, Blake. Just talk to him again sometime and see for yourself," said Ruby.

"I never said he was a bad guy. This is just me speaking from my time in the White Fang," she answered as she picked her book up again.

She got off her bed and made her way to the door, but stopped when Yang spoke up.

"Just talk with him, okay? You might be jumping the gun on somebody who probably has more in common with you than you think."

Her hand gripped the handle of the door tight and she felt it shake in her grasp. She took a deep breath through her nose and slowly let it out. The door opened with a low creak as she pulled and she closed it behind her to begin her silent trek to the library to continue her reading.

* * *

In and out, in then out. The steady flow of air swarmed his nostrils and then back out like a gust of wind with each breath as he continued his stride down the cobblestone path. The soft thumps shot up his feet as they landed gently on the ground and pushed off to drive himself forward.

This had become routine to him by now. Before his mornings would start he would get up and run a few miles to build on his stamina and stay in shape. Back when he first joined the Army, the run portion of the PT test had been the wall that stopped him. He had been slow and was unable to find his pace. Now it came with ease.

He slowed to a stop and rested his hands on the back of his head. The hard pumps of his heart drummed in his ears and his lungs burned hot as they began to relax. Sweat caressed his face as it trickled down. His eyes then trailed down to his watch. He had reached the two mile point just under thirteen minutes and although that wasn't his fastest time, it still gave him a good gage of where he was.

His fingers reset the stop watch for the run back. He began to stretch his legs out once more after feeling them grow tight.

"You're looking tired there, Professor!" Came a familiar voice.

Blackburn stood upright and turned his head just enough to see Coco slowing to a stop. Behind her was the rest of her teammates, Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi. The four of them had a fresh sweat on their beings from an early morning run.

"It'll take more than that to make me tired," he said with a small smirk. "So, what are you up to?"

Coco took a couple of steps forward, the smirk on her face growing. Her fingers lightly pulled on her shades and her brown orbs poked over the top of them.

"Getting these lazy bums a workout. They haven't done much in the past week," she said pushing her glasses back up.

"We have exams coming up, you know," Velvet said with a pointed look.

"Strength of body and strength of mind, Vel. You three have only been doing one of those."

The rabbit Faunus only rolled her eyes and rolled her neck to loosen the tension she built up.

"So, are you getting ready to head back?" Coco asked him.

"Yeah. You?" He rolled his shoulders.

"You know it. Gotta' get freshened up before class starts."

"Well, I'll hold you to that."

He finished his stretches and was about to start his run, but Coco stopped him again.

"Since you said you're still fresh, let's race back." She folded her arms.

"Seriously?" He rose a brow.

"Or are you afraid of four kids beating your old ass?"

He turned back to the brunette, a small twitch in his eye at the verbal jab. He was far from old. Sure, they may be a couple of years younger than him and had more power and control over their Aura and abilities as Hunstmen, but he was in no way a quitter. If these four thought they would beat him in a race, they had another thing coming.

His brown eyes stared down into Coco's through her shades, doing nothing to wipe the cocky smirk from her lips.

"You better not disappoint me," he said. "If I win, I'm giving you an extra assignment."

From the corner of his eye he could see Velvet freeze and her face grow pale. The poor girl looked ready to convince Coco not to accept the terms. Yatsuhashi and Fox looked no better.

"And if we win?" Coco challenged.

"Name your price," was his quick retort.

"We'll think of something."

"Fine."

Coco held her hand out and he took it. He could feel his hand contort under pressure from the strong grip and returned it with just as much vigor.

"We'll race back to the front doors. Since you're outnumbered, we only need to have one of us beat you. Deal?" She asked.

He only nodded and pointed at the small starting line he made.

Velvet and Coco were to his right while Fox and Yatsuhashi were to his left. He looked down at his watch and felt his focus build with each second it crept closer to the next minute. The second the hand hit the twelve, he pressed the button and a low beep emitted.

His feet propelled him from the ground and he got a decent jump on the four students. The quick start did not last long as the four of them were soon beside him, keeping stride with little difficulty. This did not instill any form of panic, though. He had the running strategy down to a science and it would be the last half mile that proved it.

He said nothing when Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi began to pull ahead with the brunette leader sparing him a quick smirk. His small nod of recognition made her raise a brow, shrug, and then continue ahead. His attention went to his side where Velvet was keeping pace with him.

The rabbit girl did not look the least bit tired as her form continued to ooze strength. Each breath and step she took did not deter the fixed look of determination in her narrowed eyes. Beads of sweat raced down the side of her face and the long locks of hair clung to it. Her eyes met his briefly and she acknowledged him with a subtle nod.

"You run a lot?" He asked.

"Yes." She breathed out.

"Guess we better pick it up."

Blackburn's eyes flicked back to his watch. Three minutes had gone by and he would be reaching his half mile time shortly. Far ahead he could still see the figures of Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi.

His plan was set and as he passed by the half mile marker, his leg reached further out to start his longer stride. With each step he could feel his breath falling into rhythm. In and out, in and out. Each breath flooded his nostrils with a tingling sensation that was soon quelled as he exhaled. From his peripherals he could see Velvet keeping stride with him, mimicking his movements with no fault. If she was able to keep up that pace, she would be the one racing him on the final stretch to the doors.

It did not take long for him and Velvet to gain ground on Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi. The three had used a lot of their strength in the beginning to put enough distance between them to stay ahead with an easier pace. The surprised looks on their faces almost made him laugh. Their eyes were wide and the exhaustion was etched into their red, sweaty faces.

"This is where I win," he mouthed to Coco, getting a sharp glare in return.

He soon pulled ahead of her team and felt the grin on his face grow as he put more and more space between them. This was in the bag and it would be a big ego booster when he pulled it off. He spared a second to peer over his shoulder and could see Velvet not too far behind him, but the rest of her team was almost half a track length behind her. So far it was panning out just like he pictured.

His eyes looked ahead and he could see the archway leading to the courtyard of the school. The only thing that stood between him and the archway was the long bridge that connected it. Beyond the arch he could just make out the large, brown doors in the morning glare. This was it, the final stretch.

With one last exhale he began to move as fast as he could. His sprint was something he always prided himself with. He was always a fast sprinter and used it to his advantage whenever he took a PT test to shave off those extra seconds to better his score.

The air brushed him and he could hear it cut and blow in his ears as the breeze picked up. His arms pumped back and forth with each stomp of his foot and pulled him forward.

"Come on, Fox! You and Velvet are right there!" Coco's voice met his ears.

He glanced back and was a little surprised with the newfound life in Fox. The copper haired boy had passed Velvet and was now closing the gap on him. He was now running on sheer willpower and that was evident with the hard breaths that flew out of his mouth as he tried to sustain a steady pattern.

He shook his head and continued his mad dash for the doors. The brown doors ahead grew closer and closer. Everything around him began to fade, being replaced with tunnel vision as his eyes stayed fixed on the large doors. He was almost there! Just a few more steps…

A gasp shot from his mouth and he slumped forward as he passed through the arch. He hunched over gasping for air and his throat tightened as he felt the familiar, hot feeling climb up. He quickly turned on his heel and walked outside just in time to have a small spray of vomit stain the grass.

"Jeez, don't go dying on us!" Coco panted as she stopped behind him.

"It wouldn't have been a good run if I didn't puke." He wiped his mouth.

The brunette's face twisted into one of disgust at the gross mention of bile and she shook her head. She pulled her shades off and wiped the sweat from her face.

"So, what is our extra assignment?" Fox crossed his arms.

Blackburn stood up and looked back at the copper haired teen and then to his teammates who looked ready to receive one of the worst punishments known to man. As much as he wanted to get payback on Fox for nearly cracking his sternum when they met, he decided against it. The boy was strong and he had a bit of respect for him almost catching him at the end with that surprising second wind.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. "If anything, I want you to start listening to her."

He nodded at Coco who rose a brow in slight surprise.

"Listen to her?" Fox tilted his head. "She's our leader, of course we listen to her."

"I'm sure you do, but she's still your leader and it's your job as her team to back her up and carry out her assigned tasks. So if she says you guys are training, you do your training. If she says to hit the books, you hit the books. It makes you all look squared away and makes you a stronger team. Teams are only as strong as their weakest members," he said.

Fox sighed and cast his eyes to the ground, nodding just a bit after the words hit him. He along with Velvet and Yatsuhashi already followed Coco's lead and trusted her with their lives with whatever decision she made. They knew that they were one of the best teams in Beacon for that sole purpose. Their grades were sharp and their combat scores were near the top of the class.

Perhaps it was because of that that they felt it was easy to lay back and take their feet off the gas for a bit.

"Okay. We got it, Professor." Fox looked up.

"Good deal." He clapped his shoulder. "You'd better get going if you want to get cleaned up before class."

Fox nodded and walked through the doorway with Velvet and Yatsuhashi filing in behind, leaving him and Coco alone.

"Guess you're not old after all," she said.

"I'm twenty for Christ's sake!" He shot back.

Coco smirked and put her glasses back on and eyed him up and down. A small hum left her lips and she nodded again.

"Be ready to lose next time."

Blackburn rolled his eyes and was about to retort, but was thrown for a loop when he felt a firm hand slap his rear. His eyes shot open and his head snapped back to the brunette who did not break stride as she walked back inside the school. The bold and inappropriate act made his mind almost stop as he replayed it.

He just shook his head in disbelief. _"What the fuck?"_

* * *

Blackburn entered his office after finishing his shower and shaving. He still had an hour to kill before he had to meet with Glynda for class. His stomach gave a loud growl in protest. Breakfast would just be wrapping up and he had enough time to grab a plate.

Light footsteps met his ears as Zwei trotted out of the bedroom and ground to a halt. The small corgi looked up at him panting lightly. This had been another part of his new morning schedule. Feed Zwei. He made his way to the cabinet by his desk and opened it to find one last can remaining. He made a mental note to ask Ruby for more food later.

The can opener cut into the lid and he pried it off and set it on the floor. Zwei's mouth opened wide and he started to devour the wet food. The can scuffed on the floor with each bite the corgi took.

He could feel the fur under his nails as he gently scratched the dog's back.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he continued to scratch Zwei. Seeing the small corgi eat reminded him of his own dog back home. The large German Shepherd would always make a mess of his food whenever he ate, scattering dog chow or leftover food all over the floor that he would lick up. The few times he did not lick it up, he would watch him as he cleaned it, almost like he was mocking him. Despite the trouble the large dog could give him, he was one of the best friends and companions he had. It made his heart ache that he would probably never see his friend again now that he was a whole world away.

 _"Hard to believe I was just two weeks from going home."_

He perked up a bit when he felt a gentle nudge on his hand. Looking down he could see Zwei looking up at him, as if sensing his sadness. He smiled and scratched his ears.

"Thanks, buddy."

Zwei hopped up on his hind legs and licked the side of his face. He gave one last scratch to his head and stood up.

"Hi, Connor!" A cheery voice came from the door.

The sudden outburst made his heart catapult up and he jumped to his feet. He wheeled around to the source of the greeting and found Ruby beaming back at him with her arms behind her back.

"Jesus, Ruby, you scared the crap out of me." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

The cape wearing girl smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." She entered the room.

"It's okay, just don't do that again. At least knock to get my attention."

She nodded back and stopped just in front of him. The smile she had threatened to split her face in two. She rocked back and forth on her feet, giddy with whatever she wanted to say.

"How much sugar did you have this morning?" He asked.

She stopped rocking and her cheeks puffed out in a pout at the poke.

"None!" She answered back, making him raise a brow. "Okay, just a little, but that's not why I'm happy!"

"Then what is it?" He leaned back on his desk.

Ruby's pout vanished and her eyes lit up with excitement. Her hands were almost a blur as she brought them out from behind her back and held his pistol out.

"Tada!" She cheered.

He blinked and took the pistol from her. His eyes scanned the entirety of it, but could find no change in its appearance. He made sure the safety was on before pulling back on the slide. This time he saw what changed. Gone was the black barrel and in its place was a red one.

"That barrel will allow you to use dust rounds and can fire over one thousand rounds without a malfunction guaranteed," she said with pride.

"No shit?" He let the slide shoot forward.

"Language!"

He chuckled at the girl's scolding tone. Although he was an only child, he could only assume that this is what it was like having a younger sibling. He set his pistol down on his desk and fished out its holster before strapping it to his leg.

"Oh, yeah, I also got you these." Ruby reached for her belt and pulled out two small boxes of ammo.

Another smile came to his face and he took the ammunition from her. He opened one box and began to load his magazine to the top. One little detail that he spotted was the tip of each bullet was a red, similar to tracer rounds.

"I'm sure you know this, but dust rounds are unique to elements. Those ones I got for you act as armor piercers and incendiaries. You hit a Grimm with one of those babies, it will send them packing," said Ruby.

"Stopping power?" He smirked back at her.

"Stopping power at its best. When that bullet hits an unprotected enemy, it will expand on impact and burn the spot it hit them."

"Nice."

He loaded the last round and inserted it into his pistol before tucking it back in its holster. Now he was in business if he ran into another Grimm. His brown eyes turned back to meet Ruby's silver orbs. The smile on her face was still wide.

"Thank you, Ruby. You may not know it, but this meant a lot to me." He smiled at her.

"You're a friend and I wanted to help you after you helped me. So, consider us even," she chirped back.

"I think I owe you again. You dropped a bunch of money just to help me."

Ruby's lips curled up in a tiny smirk and she rocked on her feet once again.

"Well, if you really feel like you still owe me, then let me know when you go to the range to shoot. I want to see how it fires and try it myself."

Connor smiled back and nodded. "You got a deal."

His stomach gave another loud growl and he pushed off his desk. Another look at his watch made him bite his lip. He would be cutting it close and would have to take breakfast to class with him. Hopefully Glynda wouldn't chew him out for it.

"We better hurry or Glynda will throw a fit," he said leading Ruby out of the room.

"Okay, I'll see you there!" She waved.

"Oh, Ruby, one more thing. You know that little project we talked about?"

Ruby nodded, her eyes shining with excitement again.

"Well, we may be able to do that soon enough. Glynda said I would need a weapon suitable for combat, so Ozpin will be giving me a little extra pay to get the materials I need," he continued.

"When could we get started?" She asked.

"Saturday since I get paid on Friday."

"Great! I'll bring the blueprints and we can go into town to start getting the parts!"

She then turned on her heel and burst down the hall leaving a small trail of rose petals behind her. Once she was gone, he sent one last look at Zwei who gave another bark before trotting back to his room. He shut the door and waited for the panel to flash red to indicate its locked state and then moved briskly for the cafeteria.

* * *

Combat class had gone by quickly, and with good reason. Since they would be moving out to the Emerald Forest to practice team exercises and mock missions, this was the last chance for students that were struggling to work out the kinks in their fighting style. In what seemed to be a miracle, no student underperformed or showed any sign of weakness that could hamper them or their teammates when the new training was to begin.

The bell sounded and the students rose from their seats and began to make their way for the exit.

"Remember, the next class is when we meet at the Emerald Forest. Team JNPR will be the first team to go!" Blackburn called to them.

His eyes met with Jaune's blue orbs. The blonde boy had been an average fighter from what he saw when he first arrived. His confidence was that of a rollercoaster. One day he would be king of the world and then the next he would be in the lowest pit imaginable. Now the boy appeared more relaxed and confident. His emotions were no longer flaky, and if they were, he did not pick up on it which is what he wanted to see.

Since the boy was the leader of his team, he needed to stand as a point of strength and could not afford to show signs of duress or weakness. That was a morale killer and could lead to mission failure.

Jaune's new attitude was the reason he wanted his team to go first. It would be a test to see if the boy had indeed improved with his capabilities, or if he was masking it. Either way, he was sure that the results would be interesting.

The classroom had emptied, save for himself, Glynda and to his surprise, Team CFVY. Seeing the more experienced team lag behind was a bit of a surprise since they were usually the first ones out the door. The corner of his mouth twitched when Coco's lips curved up in the smallest of smirks, still no doubt pleased with her flirty gesture this morning.

"Is your team ready, Miss Adel?" Glynda pushed up her glasses.

He turned his eyes to Glynda and then back to Coco's team. Was there something he missed?

"Born ready, Miss Goodwitch," Coco answered coolly. "Is Winter meeting us in Ozpin's office?"

His interest rose just a bit. Questions began brewing in his mind at the thought of Coco's team working with the young lieutenant.

"She is. I'll escort you there now." The spectacled woman nodded before turning to face him. "Mister Blackburn, would you come with us please? General Ironwood wanted to talk to you."

"I got nothin' else going on." He shrugged back.

The blonde turned and her heels made small clicks with each step as she marched them out of the arena.

The walk to Ozpin's office was silent. None of them talked and would only give a quick, simple response to anyone who greeted them in the hallway. A lot of students kept their eyes on them until they were long out of sight and it was there that Blackburn realized how much respect the team in front of them had from their fellow students.

A small ping met his ears as they reached the elevator and clambered in. It was a tight fit and much to his chagrin, the only spot available was directly beside Coco.

He would not give the girl the pleasure of having control after her little stunt. His eyes locked with hers and with incredible difficulty, he managed to keep his mouth in a thin line to prevent himself from scowling. Try as he might, she seemed to pick up on his game and only rose a brow in amusement.

"You don't look so good, Professor Blackburn," she said.

"Really? I think I look fantastic," he quipped back having none of it.

"Well, when you put it like that…"

He felt his eyes roll and stiffened just a bit when he felt Glynda's gaze on him. The power that this woman had at her beck and call was not just literal, but figurative as well. When her eyes were on you, she rooted you to the spot with intimidation and hit you with the words she wanted to say. He did not dare look directly at the woman and just out of the corner of his eye he could see her eyes flicking back and forth between him and the brunette to his left.

"I see you two have become pretty acquainted with each other."

He only shook his head and closed his mouth. When the elevator let out the last chime as it reached Ozpin's office he could not have been more grateful. The doors opened and he swiftly moved into the office.

His eyes caught sight of General Ironwood and Winter off to the side and he gave a small nod towards them. The general smiled at him and Winter returned his gesture with a nod of her own.

"Perfect timing," Ozpin greeted with a smile.

Team CFVY came to a stop before the headmaster's desk and awaited the news he had for them. Meanwhile, Glynda and Blackburn moved behind his desk with the latter taking position next to Winter.

"As the four of you know, you were assigned to have follow up missions with Miss Schnee regarding information that we recovered from that raid," said Ozpin.

The old man set his scroll on the terminal and a screen formed above his desk. On the screen there were three separate tabs. Two of them were photos that were taken and the third was a map of the city that had red circles on it to indicate target locations.

Blackburn now knew where the conversation was going and his brown eyes took in the information that was displayed. This was the reason why General Ironwood called upon him today. He needed a second opinion on the operation they had to have conducted after he gave them a brief introduction with his experience in counterinsurgency.

The first photo was of a man. It was not the best picture, having captured him from a side angle. The man was tall and dressed similar to a teenager lacking fashion sense. What really stood out like a sore thumb was the large, ugly scar on his left cheek. This was a man who had experience with crime and that scar on his face was proof of it. This guy had some skill and strength if he was able to walk away with just a knife wound.

His eyes jumped to the next photo. His shoulders shook with a light chuckle when he saw the old vehicle. It was a piece of junk, no different from the rusted beater cars that he saw when he was overseas. While his experience with those cars in particular brought back memories of IEDs with how low they got to the ground with the weight, this one was different. It was for transportation only, more than likely to keep a low profile.

"Thanks to Miss Scarlatina's quick thinking, we were able to run the car's license plates to pin an owner," said Ozpin.

Velvet's cheeks flushed at the compliment and she shyly scratched the back of her head, smiling when Yatsuhashi patted her shoulder.

"It just so happens that this man here is the true owner. You know him as Shadow from the information we gathered, but his real name is Colby Dunn according to the registration."

Fox spoke up next.

"I'm sensing a "but" coming."

Ozpin gave a small nod and then motioned for Winter.

"We've sent surveillance teams to observe his last home of address, but the place looked as though it wasn't used in years. Wherever he's hiding, it will be in the last place we would expect to find it."

"Then what's the plan?" Fox quirked a brow. "We can't afford to put a lookout on his car without risking losing him."

Winter nodded and stepped up to the screen. Her cold eyes moved from one circled position to the next. Each one highlighted the potential meetup points Shadow went to when he relayed messages between Queen and Lotus.

The last attempt they tried to track him proved to be challenging. Although they found him, there were two reports from their teams of him being in separate locations at the same time.

This opened the door to two possible solutions in the lieutenant's mind. The first was that Shadow's Semblance gave him the ability to conjure a few clones. This only seemed plausible due to how close each of them were during the mission. Each target that the teams believed to be Shadow was no more than half a mile apart which would allow less control and energy to be used.

The second theory she had was that Shadow had a few colleagues disguised as decoys, which seemed to be the more logical answer.

"What kept you from capturing him last time?" Blackburn spoke up.

Winter's eyes narrowed when she glanced back at him.

"There was no telling which one was the real target. To add to that, we did not have the manpower to confirm if there were more possible decoys. We cannot afford to make a hasty decision and cause panic," she said.

"Lieutenant Schnee, with all due respect, sometimes risk is needed to be successful."

The lieutenant scowled at him and looked back at the map. This time her plan was different. It would be the same approach, but they would have more teams at their disposal to observe each location for the next exchange rather than switching location every couple of hours.

Her new plan seemed to sit well with Team CFVY who voiced their concerns about the lack of support at the end of the last mission. Now that it would be balanced, it would allow for a smoother operation.

"This is why we called you in," said Winter turning back to him.

"What did you need from me?" He tucked his hands into his pockets.

"You worked with a lot of reconnaissance operations when you were in the military. We wanted to know if this plan was more feasible."

Blackburn said nothing and thought over everything he had seen on the screen and what Winter changed from the last mission.

She did the right thing with getting more personnel to observe the potential target areas. It would allow better control over the operation and confirm missing intelligence gaps that they needed to answer. The biggest bit was that it would help them stay refreshed now that they would be able to have decent sleep instead of doing constant short shifts. Focus was key in reconnaissance to allow for the best reports to be sent up, and that was not doable with a sleep deprived team.

"So long as you stick to this plan and capture the guy this time, then yeah." He nodded.

"We'll refrain from capture for the time being. I don't want to draw attention by going on some wild manhunt for this target," said Winter.

"That's all well and good, Lieutenant, but how long will it take before you make up your mind to go in and get him? The longer you let him stay out, the more time you give the enemy to make a strike. If you take this guy now, you can cripple their maneuver network since he seems to be the main man."

Winter fully turned to him and strode forth, stopping just shy of his face. Her eyes were cold as ice and could freeze the most determined man with one look. This did not work on him though. He had gone through his fair share of reprimands and nasty looks from his peers and senior officers. All it did was make him glare back.

"And if he's not, then what? How long before he is replaced by someone just as competent as him?" She challenged.

"That's why you need to bring him in and interrogate him. It'll give you the jump on the enemy instead of sitting around with your thumbs up your ass waiting for something to happen." He growled back.

Ozpin cleared his throat, breaking the two of them from their heated argument and back to the situation at hand.

Winter took a deep breath and moved away to calm down while Blackburn gave a quick apology to the headmaster and returned to his silent state.

The headmaster's spectacled gaze turned to General Ironwood. Both of them had seen the updated plan and with the assuring insight that Blackburn gave, felt comfortable to move forward with it. The only issue now was what would be the call when they spotted Shadow.

They had to let him go last time since there was unknown information, but this time they had the chance to make a decision and capture him then and there depending on what they found. Both Winter and Blackburn brought up valid points and there was no right or wrong answer.

Ultimately, it was Ironwood's call since he was the head of security for the time being. His eyes then turned to Winter who stood at attention.

"Lieutenant Schnee, prepare your team to move out. Your mission is set to start at 1800. I will leave the decision to act on Shadow up to you," said Ironwood.

"Sir!" Winter saluted back before sending a look at Team CFVY. "You know what you need to do. Meet me at the landing docks at 1730. We'll go over final preparations then."

She made for the elevator and disappeared a second later.

Once she was gone, Team CFVY made to leave, but were halted when they heard Blackburn speak up.

"Ozpin, would you mind if I asked to go on this mission with Team CFVY?"

The question came out of the blue and garnered some looks of surprise. The headmaster sipped his coffee and cast his eyes to the assistant teacher. There was a small light of excitement in the young man's eyes.

"May I ask what brought this on?" He leaned back in his chair.

"Guys like me can only sit for so long. I prefer fieldwork at the end of the day, and this would give me the chance to get out and stretch my legs for a bit," said Blackburn.

He kept his eyes locked with Ozpin's. Every word he said was true. He liked being in the field and getting in the fight when asked, and this was a golden opportunity. It would give him the chance to get out of Beacon for a bit and see what other Huntsmen were capable of doing.

He would be able to see Atlas' skill with reconnaissance operations firsthand, too. Seeing how they performed would help him give insight to General Ironwood if the man asked him for future reference.

"If I were to grant you permission to go on this mission, your job would be to supervise Team CFVY. Can you truly say you can look after some junior Huntsmen when you have little experience yourself?" Ozpin asked.

Blackburn grimaced at the sharp jab, but stood strong. He made it this far and was sure that he could pull his weight enough to chip in on a mission if something should go wrong.

"I can," was his answer.

The headmaster kept his old, sharp eyes on him for a few moments before they shifted to the man behind him.

"James?" He asked.

"The more experience we have, the better. I would not mind one bit, though I can't say the same for Lieutenant Schnee," said Ironwood.

"I'm sure she'll accept it if you make her aware of your decision prior to their departure."

Ironwood nodded and looked at Blackburn.

"How much time do you need to get ready?" He asked.

"I just need some munchies and I'm good to go, sir," said Blackburn.

The general nodded and dismissed him. Blackburn walked with Team CFVY to the elevator and could feel his lips curve up in a grin. He was going back to the field and it felt great.

A small chime came as the elevator doors closed and he took note of the elbow to his arm, courtesy of Coco.

"Pretty ballsy of you to say that." She smirked.

"Trust me, that was nothing." He dismissed it with a shake of his head.

* * *

The look on Winter's face was a combination of anger and disgust when he arrived with Team CFVY at the landing docks. She was visibly displeased with him being an extra addition to her team, but there was nothing she could do. If General Ironwood gave her an order, she would deal with it and respect the decision.

A hiss came from the Bullhead as it opened to allow them on board. Team CFVY got on first and took the open seats beside some soldiers. Only two seats remained for Winter and Blackburn, putting them right at the entrance to the aircraft by each other.

Before he could step on, Winter sent him a warning look.

"I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled about you coming along. You'd be more of a liability than anything with your lack of training in Aura," she began.

"Well, I'm still going with you, so you better suck it up," he answered with a lighthearted shrug.

"While you don't fall under Atlas Military command, you are on my squad and this is my mission. When we're out there, you do as I do and move as I move."

There it was. Blackburn frowned a bit at the tone she used when she established her rules for him on the mission. It was lieutenants like this that he did not like. They disregarded the word of experienced soldiers that have done the job before because they felt it was their job as an officer to come up with the plan and execute it.

"We're wasting time here, Lieutenant. We should get moving," he said with a barely restrained tone.

Winter's trademark glare bore into him for his offhanded comeback.

"Don't go around me," she whispered sharply.

With that, she turned and entered the Bullhead, taking the seat by one of her sergeants.

Blackburn sighed and sat down beside her, keeping his eyes front. The door sealed shut and the aircraft hummed as it lifted into the air and began its flight to the city.

 _"This'll be fun."_ He leaned back in his seat.

* * *

 **There we go, folks. Sorry for the delay again. My cousin got married Saturday and I was gone a lot longer than I thought I would be. So I plan to stick to the schedule and have the next update on October 8th.**

 **Statements:**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 9/28/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 9/4/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **FTX: Field Training Exercise**


	14. Adrenaline

**Haha! Made the deadline! It must be the freakin' apocalypse! Nah, I'm just kidding, but I'm here with another chapter and it is one of action! So hopefully you guys enjoy and are kind enough to drop a review when you finish reading it. Once again, thanks for the continued support with the reviews, follows and favorites. I know OC stories are considered the scourge of Fanfiction, but hopefully my OC story has been to your liking. Let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The flight into the city had been uneventful. The majority of the it was spent listening to Winter's finalized plan of action for the mission. She decided to keep it the same with teams of two keeping watch over the suspected areas to watch and see if more decoys showed when Shadow was supposed to make his usual exchange. The only addition to the otherwise solid plan was that no one would be shifting positions to cover all the known spots. Everyone would be at one target location for the duration of the mission.

Winter would be paired with Sergeant Green and would be taking a café near the southwest side of the city. Velvet and Yatsuhashi would retake their position overlooking the car dealership they watched last time. Fox would be stacked with Coco and Blackburn and watching the warehouses a mile away from the city.

They were to keep an eye on the locations and report in with radio checks on the hour and to notify the other teams when their target entered the area. From there, they would await further instruction from Winter to move and capture Shadow or let him go.

With what happened last time, the members of Team CFVY were hoping that Winter would let them apprehend Shadow if given the chance. They let him go the last time due to the lack of manpower and the intelligence gaps, but this time it was different. Now they had the men to report whether or not Shadow used more than two decoys.

The Bullhead had dropped off the teams in the landing zone in the heart of the city. From there they would use public transportation to travel to their observation points and keep a low profile to not draw attention from the public. Too easy.

Blackburn felt his body tingle with excitement and he could not help but smile as he, Coco and Fox walked to the closest bus stop to hitch a ride. It was going to be just like his days in Afghanistan, but instead of doing recon with his brothers, he was doing it with students. His students.

"I've seen that smile before," said Fox with a knowing smirk.

"Hmm?" Blackburn turned to him.

"Did you get laid last night or something? You sure look like you did."

Blackburn laughed and looked back at Fox.

"No, I didn't. Haven't had any in almost a year." He shook his head.

Fox let out a whistle and shook his head.

"Backed up? Professor, you know that's not healthy. You gotta' solve your issues with tissues," he continued.

Blackburn laughed again and pinched the bridge of his nose to stifle them. He did not know Fox all that well yet, but he was funny. In fact, he'd go so far to say that his sense of humor was just like Busch's. If the two of them ever met, they'd hit it off without a problem.

"Hey, I'm right here, you know?" Coco chided from his left.

The color drained from his face as he spared the brunette a quick glance. Her brown eyes were peeking at him over the top of her shades. Her lips were pursed in a small scowl.

His mind tried to come up with a way to diffuse the awkward tension that he and Fox unwittingly created. The last thing he needed was to have a complaint filed against him.

Fox, however, looked more amused than anything at Coco's input.

"This coming from the girl who spanks every guy she deems hot?" He rose a brow teasingly.

The corner of the brunette's mouth tugged in a small smirk. If one looked closely, they would see a light pink dusting her cheeks. The tables had quickly turned on the fashionista and she sheepishly attempted to redirect the conversation back towards them.

"That's… ah, fine! You got me!" She waved it aside, her look of embarrassment being replaced with amusement.

Blackburn looked back at Coco and met her eyes again.

"So that whole thing with you spanking me earlier today…"

She looked him up and down and gave a lighthearted shrug, the smirk growing by the second.

"Take it any way you like, Professor. I just wanted to get a reaction from you." She played it coolly.

"Regardless, please don't do that again. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea," he replied.

Coco brushed what he said aside and gave a nod, humoring him.

The three of them came to a stop at the booth just off the curb. After checking the bus schedule they were pleased to see they would not have to wait long for the next one. It would arrive in ten minutes which gave them enough time to make a last grab for munchies for the upcoming reconnaissance. Blackburn offered to hold their snacks in his bag. Fox already put his in, but Coco made her way for the convenience store at the corner of the block to pick herself up some snacks and would be back soon enough.

While she was gone, Fox and Blackburn just stood by each other in silence. So far they had gotten along with the former reminding the latter of a past squad mate.

Blackburn's eyes shifted to Fox and looked at his pure white eyes. It was the most unusual thing he had seen. With eyes like that he assumed the boy was blind, but he was able to navigate his way around everything without difficulty, and even more impressively he could fight and read the facial expressions of others.

"You mind if I ask you something?" He asked the copper haired boy.

"Nah. Shoot," was his response.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but are you blind?"

The boy's expression did not change. It did not scrunch up in anger or annoyance. In fact, the boy's eyes glanced at him and a grin came to his face. Fox then nodded and laughed when seeing the dumbstruck look on his face.

"How can you move without a walking stick?" Blackburn folded his arms.

Fox lifted his leg up and lightly tapped his heel with his fingertips.

"I can't see, but I can feel. It's weird to explain, but whenever there are vibrations around me, it gives me a picture of what I'm dealing with. So long as I'm moving or there is someone or something moving around me, I can feel it and see it as if I'm seeing normally. Make sense?" He explained.

"No kidding?" He said both stunned and impressed. "You must've made a lot of money on bets."

"Oh, you have no idea. There are some cage fights that go down here in the city on weekends for prize money and I entered a few of them. Let's just say that if you ever hear stories about the Blind Boxer, that's me."

Blackburn smirked at the boy's answer and turned to face the road again. Fox was not a bad guy at all. He was probably one of the coolest people he met in a while if he had to be honest. The kid was confident, a little cocky, and he had a witty sense of humor. It was people like him that he missed hanging around with back in his unit. They knew how to pull everyone's spirits up and make them forget about all the harshness that surrounded them.

They were a definite need in any team and often times served as the balance.

"I'm back!" Coco appeared beside him.

Blackburn nodded and felt his bag zip open, filling the rest of it up with the snacks she brought. It zipped shut just as the bus pulled up for them to get on.

Coco got on first with Fox and Blackburn following close behind. The doors closed behind them followed by a hiss as the bus lifted up and began its trek down the road.

They found a secluded spot in the back. Not many people were inside with the rush hour having ended a little over an hour ago. It gave them the chance to quietly go over the plan again.

With the three of them keeping watch over the warehouse, it gave one person time to sleep as they rotated shifts. On Blackburn's suggestion, they agreed each shift would be four hours long with one person staying awake for eight hours to keep watch while one rotated out on the fourth hour and the other took their place. He had volunteered to do the long shift to allow Fox and Coco time to sleep.

The warehouse they would be watching had two others by it. From the imagery they got from the intelligence teams, their only form of cover and concealment would be inside one of the warehouses or on the roofs. In the end, they opted for the roof for the vantage point. If Shadow were to come to the warehouses they would wake up the one who was asleep and then follow Winter's orders by alerting everyone and go from there.

"Which of you wants to sleep first?" He looked between the two of them.

Coco immediately pointed to Fox who shrugged with the quick decision.

"Okay. When we're set up, get to sleep. You'll need it," he said.

"Too easy." Fox waved it aside.

* * *

By the time they made it to the warehouses the sun had set, allowing the moon to shine brightly overhead. There were three warehouses to choose from to set up their OP and all of them provided a clear line of sight to the road between them. There was a four corner intersection between the warehouses to allow multiple avenues of approach for Shadow if he showed up in his car. It also served as a quick egress if he wanted to make a break for it.

This served as a small problem. If Winter did give them the go ahead to apprehend Shadow, they would have to move fast. They had no vehicle to use to try and catch him if he decided to run. Even if they found a car to commandeer, they did not have much of a time frame to catch him before he got into the city and made his way for the highway. The warehouses were only a mile from the city and gave them little time to stop him if it came down to it. Otherwise they would be drawing attention to themselves and that was the last thing they needed.

Blackburn sighed as he sat down against the concrete guard of the roof. He dropped his bag beside it and looked up at the sky. The stars shone brightly in the night and drew him in with their illustrious beauty. No matter how many times he looked up at the sky since he arrived, it constantly reminded him of his nights in the harsh deserts and mountains of Afghanistan after a long day and he would lose track of time easily in the process. It was a calming activity to cap off an otherwise boring or wild day.

A scuff of clothes from his left got his attention and he saw Coco sit beside him to look up at the sky.

"What was it like?" She asked him.

"What was what like?" He answered.

"The fighting overseas. I remember you talking about it briefly when you were telling us about your first kill."

He said nothing. It was a complicated thing to explain and was filled with nothing but grey areas. Although he had his fair share of firefights over his two tours, he experienced nowhere near what his father or Sergeant Carlson did during the initial invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

How they managed to deal with all the crazy, he did not know, but he did know the perfect word to sum it all up for the girl beside him.

"Brutal." He grunted back.

"Can you tell me about it? If you don't want to, that's fine, too," she quickly said.

Blackburn bit the inner part of his cheek and mulled it over.

"Sure. We got a lot of time to kill anyway," he said.

He started with the catalyst to the current fight with the September 11th attacks. After the attack, President Bush declared war against terrorism and that led to the early invasion of Afghanistan in early 2001. This was a sensitive topic and would be for years to come, but the terrorist attacks were the target of conspiracy theorists who had a hard on for it. All the claims that the U.S. government bombed their own buildings to play the victim to just go overseas and steal the oil.

At the end of the day, the most common answer was that radical Islamists attacked them because they were considered infidels in the eyes of Allah. It was a war of religion and oppression that had grown out of hand for the past fifteen years to the point that even the mission statement to why they were over there began to become obscured. It had just become a mess that left people on both sides hurt and tired of it all.'

"So, these terrorists are waging this whole war because they believe their religion is the superior one to others and kill anyone who refuses to conform?" She asked.

"That's the general idea behind this mess, yeah." He gave a curt nod.

"But why? Why kill people who choose not to follow?"

He only shook his head.

"I stopped trying to make sense of it. I was raised Catholic, but after all of this… I don't know if I want any part of religion. It gets just as much flak as political beliefs or anything else, even back home. People will complain and argue about it and how it interferes with everyday life," he said with a rub of his eyes. "The way I see it, everyone has a bit of self-entitlement and try to make it a point by doing wild crap like what I just told you about. You don't conform to their beliefs, they shun you and attack you. People love to bitch and moan about the smallest things and will grasp at the tiniest straw just to start something, regardless of the consequences it can bring."

His hand reached into the bag of chips in his lap and pulled out a handful. Small crunches met his ears as his teeth chewed them up.

"What about you then? Do you still have faith or believe in God?" She asked.

He swallowed the snack and shifted again to get comfortable. He'd almost forgotten about the rough surfaces he'd lie on to watch something for hours on end.

"I do, but I keep it to myself. I saw it as a good escape whenever I had a really bad day. You need something to keep yourself sane, and for me it was God."

Silence fell between them again, only broken from Fox's light snores as he slept without a care in the world.

"Let me ask you this. If you were about to be executed by those radical insurgents you told me about unless you conformed, what would you do?" Coco turned to him.

He blinked as he let her words circle his head. He never thought about that scenario before, but now that she had brought it up, he could not help but wonder. It was always easy to say you would do something, but when push comes to shove, that's what separated the men from the boys. All his life he believed in God and although his faith waned every now and then, it came back strong.

The Ten Commandments flashed through his head for a moment, and there was two that stood out at number one and two respectfully. Along with that came the warrior ethos that had been engrained in his brain when he went through Basic Training. With that in mind, a small smirk came to his face and he looked back at Coco.

"I'd look those hajis right in the eye and say "I believe in Jesus Christ my lord and savior," and maybe throw a "suck it" in there for good measure. I'd rather die than go against my beliefs."

She pulled her glasses down with her index finger with a brow raised. When his face did not crack up from laughter or deceit, she too smirked.

"You're crazy or incredibly stupid." She laughed.

"I'm both, trust me." He looked down at his watch.

The digital numbers moved to midnight and right on cue, their radio crackled to life.

"All teams confirm radio check, over," said Winter.

One by one, each team checked in with the lieutenant.

"Team three confirms radio check, over," Blackburn said into the radio.

"Understood. Continue to observe your locations and report in as necessary. Out."

He took his hand off the radio and peered over the wall towards the intersection. Nothing. His eyes then scanned up and down both roads, his ears were strained to pick up the faintest movement. Nothing.

A light yawn climbed out of his mouth and he rubbed his eyes again. His mouth perked up in a small smile. He was back in his element and he loved it.

Radio checks came and went upon the hours as they crept by. Fox had woken up at two and took Coco's place so she could sleep. Neither he nor Blackburn talked much, instead keeping their focus on the objective. The dark sky began to turn red as the sun started to crest on the horizon. The stars slowly faded away when the sun rose above the skyline. Birds chirped and cawed as they roused from their slumber to begin their morning hunt.

It was peaceful.

Blackburn rubbed his face again to stay awake, the coarse feeling of stubble grazing his fingers. His watch beeped and he grabbed the radio to check in.

"Team three confirming radio check. Nothing significant to report, over," he said.

He tuned out the response he got and his hand dug into the bag between him and Fox. His fingers pinched on the first wrapper he found and pulled. He glanced at what he pulled out and came face to face with a gummy treat, almost similar to fruit snacks.

"So this is what you did in the military? Just sit and watch things for hours on end?" Fox whispered.

"Not all the time. Cav scouts do a lot of recon, but it's not limited to just a single target. We also got into a fair amount of fights," said Blackburn, opening the packet of candy.

He popped the first gummy treat in his mouth and it graced his tongue with a cherry flavored blast.

"I was gonna' say, if this is all you did then that would have been a letdown. You don't seem like the guy who likes to sit still for long," said Fox.

He chuckled and offered the copper haired boy the bag. Fox took a handful of the bite sized snack and put one in his mouth.

"You're right, I'm not. I was actually getting ready to put in a request to attend Ranger School. During my second tour I decided to try and advance my career in the military like my dad," said Blackburn.

"What's that?" Fox asked.

"The toughest combat school the United States Army has to offer. Only the best and toughest soldiers can make it and I wanted to challenge myself."

"And your dad was one?"

"Yeah. He then became a tier one operator with SF after serving as a ranger for a few years."

Fox shoved the rest of the fruity snacks into his mouth and chewed them.

"Is the military kind of like the family business?" Fox looked at him again.

Blackburn gave a curt nod. He and his father were not the only Blackburns to serve in the military. His family's service had gone all the way back to World War II with his great-grandfather. His grandfather served in Vietnam and then he and his father served in Afghanistan. It was just one of those things that defined the Blackburn men.

Love for family, country, and the men beside them.

A gentle tap on his shoulder caught his attention and he came face to face with Coco. She gave a quick jerk of her head to the side.

"Get some sleep, old man. Fox and I can take it from here." She plopped down by him.

Blackburn rolled his eyes, pushed himself to his feet and gave a long stretch. He felt his joints pop and let out a long sigh. Time for some sleep.

He rested his arms behind his head and felt his eyelids droop as he stared up at the sky.

"Wake me up if you see something," he said to Coco.

"Jeez, we got it. Seriously, get some sleep." She waved him off.

Blackburn was unsure for how long he was asleep, but it did not feel like it was a long time. It was one of those rare instances where he did not even dream. Upon waking up, he had no sense of time and if it wasn't for his watch, he'd be disoriented.

Sunlight pierced his eyelids and a low groan escaped him. He shielded it from view and pried them open to see a shadow looming over him. When his eyes adjusted he was able to see Coco.

"Hey, wake up. I think we got something," she said.

He sat up and followed her over to the ledge where Fox was carefully peeking over. When he got close enough to look over the side he quickly knelt behind the wall and gave the two of them a short look. Something was an understatement. It was packed. Faculty workers were moving about and transferring supplies to trucks and into the warehouses.

"When I said wake me up if you saw something, their arrival would have been a good time to do so!" He hissed at Coco.

Coco shot him a look of her own. "You needed the sleep, so don't start with me. Besides, you're up now, right?"

He only shook his head and reached for his bag again. His fingers found the item he was looking for and pulled it out. Although Winter had destroyed his rifle upon his arrival to Remnant, he still had the ACOG for it. Deep down he was glad he pulled it off before he entered the White Fang compound that night.

His eyes peered over the side and brought up the telescopic sight. He did another careful sweep of the active area below.

There were three trucks being loaded up with large crates. Forklifts came in and out of the warehouses every minute with a fresh pallet to be loaded into the trucks. There was at least fifty workers below.

He then looked up and down the roads. Where one problem was solved, another took its place. On the bright side if they now had to pursue Shadow should he show up, they could take a vehicle. Downside was that there were a lot of witnesses and the risk of collateral damage.

Blackburn looked back up to the north and spotted a new car turning into the alley. He shifted again to get comfortable and tried to get a clearer look at the license plate.

"Hey, do either of you have that license plate number from that file we looked at?" He asked.

"Yeah, hang on." Fox pulled out his scroll.

"Read it to me."

"J-K-N-two-eight-nine-six."

The plates were a match and a grin spread across his lips.

"He's here," he said to them.

"Where?" Coco looked over the side.

"He's stopping outside the warehouse there."

This was their chance. All they needed was a positive ID, but so far everything was looking in their favor. The driver was a young male and was wearing a hoodie. All he needed was just a clear shot of the scar on his face and his eye color.

The car came to a stop and the man got out. He looked around and then shifted his gaze up to the rooftops before he slammed the door to his car. His sudden glance in their direction forced them to hide and they lost the chance to get a clear look at his face.

After waiting for a few seconds, the three of them stood up and found their suspected individual headed for the warehouse ahead of them. When he was out of sight, Blackburn brought his hand down to the radio.

"All teams be advised, we have a positive ID on Shadow's vehicle. We were unable to get a look at the man's face, but there's a strong possibility it's our guy. How copy? Over," said Blackburn.

The response was instant.

"Copy your last, team three. There is no one matching our target's description in our location, over."

While the teams checked in, Blackburn looked at his watch and made note of the time for future reference. Ten-thirty.

"This is team two, we have a suspect matching the description in front of us, over," said Yatsuhashi.

"Did he arrive in a car? Over," Blackburn replied back.

"No. He showed up on foot, over."

That was two spots. Either the guy in front of him was their target or it was the one by Yatsuhashi and Velvet.

Each team reported in with only team four confirming the same look of their target. That made three. All of them had arrived in separate locations within three minutes of the first. Now came Winter's decision on whether to act and apprehend the suspects or let them go.

They waited patiently and continued to look at the entrance to the warehouse for Shadow to exit.

Luck was on their side and they got their wish a couple of minutes later. The man stepped out of the building with his hoodie up and stepped off to the side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

"That's right, turn towards me," Blackburn muttered under his breath.

The man took a long puff from the cigarette, turned his head up and blew out a nice stream of smoke. The shot was perfect. His eyes could make out the ugly scar on his left cheek and his green eyes.

"I have a positive ID on Shadow. I say again, positive ID on Shadow, over," said Blackburn.

"Roger that team three, stand by for further orders, over," came Sergeant Green's voice.

"Tell the LT we're losing the initiative. We don't have time to wait if we want to take this guy, over."

Blackburn waited patiently for Sergeant Green's answer, but it never came. They were losing precious seconds and it would not be long before Shadow went back to his car and left.

His heart beat fast when Shadow flicked his cigarette away and began his trek back to his car.

"Target is leaving. What's the call? Over," he pressed again.

"Do not engage, Blackburn. I say again, do not engage the target, over," said Sergeant Green.

He blinked and shook his head.

They were going to let him go again? The guy presented himself on a golden platter. If they wanted any chance of catching him and getting a jump on Queen or Lotus, now was the time to make a move!

His free hand clenched tightly and shook. Their window was closing fast and their work was about to be for nothing. It was time to make a decision.

"What was Winter's number one rule?" He looked at Coco and Fox.

"Don't act without her permission," Fox said.

"Yeah, fuck that."

He tucked his ACOG back into his pants and got to his feet with Coco and Fox doing the same. The two teens looked hesitant at first, but they were quick to shake it off. They made up their minds and were ready to chip in to help.

"You two have your weapons ready?" He asked.

"Locked and loaded." Coco patted her handbag.

"Ready to roll." Fox fastened his bracers.

Blackburn nodded and his hand patted his M9 on his leg. He had two magazines outside of the one he had loaded, not to mention Coco and Fox for backup if Murphy's Law decided to come and mess with them.

"We'll surround him first and try to be civil with it. If he doesn't comply, we use force. Simple enough, right?" He looked between them.

"I'm fine with that," said Fox.

"What about Winter?" Coco interjected.

He frowned at the mention of the lieutenant. The woman would be livid with what they were about to do, but she was only making it worse by not taking action. Risk was sometimes necessary, and this was one of those times.

"Look, I'll take the rap for you guys on this. It wouldn't be the first time I got chewed out and it won't be the last," he said as he walked to the fire escape.

* * *

He got on the ladder and slid down to the ground with ease, Coco and Fox following close behind him. His eyes kept a close watch on the workers nearby. With two of the loading trucks gone, a lot of them had gone back inside the warehouses to resume their duties.

Shadow opened the door to his car and was about to climb in, but he called out to him.

"Hey! Can I talk to you for a second?"

Shadow looked up at the three of them and his eyes immediately narrowed. He knew something was up and his body became tense. One of his hands was visible, but the other was still inside the car.

"For what?" Shadow's voice was rough.

"We're lost and need directions," he continued, trying to buy some time.

"Where to?"

"The highway."

Blackburn kept his eyes sharp for sudden moves. His mind was already playing out the scenario in his head and his hand was ready to draw his pistol if needed. Shadow's body was turned more towards them and he had yet to pull out his hand from the car.

"It's back that way." His arm came out quick as a flash.

Three loud gunshots echoed in the alley. Cries of panic filled the area as people dashed in every direction to escape the chaos.

Blackburn was quick to pull Fox and Coco down when Shadow's arm burst from the car. He then pulled out his M9 and took aim firing three quick shots. The first went far left with the second shot hitting the door and the last shattering the driver's side window.

The car roared to life and the tires screeched as it took off and did a quick U-turn. It came racing for the three of them and they dove away at the last second.

"Come on!" Blackburn got to his feet and ran for the closest car.

Coco and Fox's sprinting footsteps were right beside him.

"Wait, not that one! Go for that one!" Fox pointed at the car on the other side.

"Why?" Blackburn asked as they changed course.

"It's faster!"

Blackburn fired a couple more shots and shattered the window. He quickly unlocked the door and opened it. Fox clambered in the back seat of the coupe with Coco taking shotgun. He clambered in and slammed the door shut and did a quick look with the setup.

It was a manual, rear wheel drive. Something that he was more than familiar with driving. The keys were in the ignition much to his surprise.

"You said you raced cars before, right?" Coco rose a brow.

"Yeah." He turned the key and it roared to life. He put his hand on the shifter and glanced out the back.

"Were you any good?" She asked.

"You're about to find out."

The car shot back and he jerked the wheel hard right. Once the car was facing down the road he shifted gears and eased up on the clutch, pressing on the gas. The car zoomed down the road with the tires screeching.

There was only one road in and out of the warehouse area and that gave them more than enough time to try and intercept Shadow before he reached the city.

He handed Coco the radio and put his hand back on the gearshift.

The car revved loudly as he shifted again and continued to speed up. The road and passing buildings were almost a blur of color as he kept gunning for Shadow's car that was growing closer and closer with each second. He did not need to look at Fox or Coco to know that they strapped themselves in and were holding on for dear life.

The city was now half a mile away and he took the chance to make his first move. He got the car close enough to Shadow's bumper and inched closer. Metal crashed as the bumpers met, but it only sent Shadow's car forward in a violent lurch. He tried again, but was met with the same result.

"Team three, give me a SITREP on your target, over," said Winter.

Coco looked between him and Fox, but neither of them said anything. She sent a glare at the both of them and took a deep breath before pressing down on the receiver.

"Team three is in pursuit of Shadow, over," she replied.

A chilling silence filled the car.

"Team three say again your last, over," Winter said in a low tone.

"Oh for the love of…"

Blackburn grabbed the radio and brought the receiver to his mouth.

"We're in pursuit of Shadow going into the city! We're going to get him and we'll radio for extraction when we got him!" He snapped.

"Blackburn, you are disobeying a direct order! Stand down!" She shot back.

He shook his head and with a twist of his fingers, he shut the radio off. No time for that. He had to focus.

With a pull of the wheel he got alongside Shadow's car and rammed it. Metal screeched loudly again and both cars bounced off one another once more. He gave it another try, but felt the wheel pull in his hands as the car threatened to spin out.

He cursed under his breath and managed to right it, but Shadow got another good lead on them. Now that they entered the city, it was going to be twice as hard to stay on top of him with the additional obstacles.

"I need you guys to guide me. I have no idea where these roads go," he said.

"I got you." Fox clapped his shoulder.

Shadow veered right and disappeared around the block. Horns could be heard from the wide turn he took with his speed.

Blackburn let the car slow down and his hand drifted to the hand brake. Just before he hit the intersection he pulled and the wheels locked. The car's rear drifted out from behind in a loud screech and it slid sideways. He let go and shifted gears once again and took off like a bullet, careful not to flood the engine.

Horns blared again as they weaved between the cars going down the street. People shouted at them and captured the wild act on their scrolls.

Ahead of them Shadow did a hard turn left and they soon saw why. There was a red light back up that was touching the intersection. Time was running out to make the needed maneuver.

"Hold on to something!" He got the hand brake ready again.

Tires squealed as the car did a drift into the intersection and straight into the road that Shadow took. The three of them bumped around in the car as they mounted the curb and narrowly missed a handful of people.

"Watch it!" Coco shouted.

"You wanna' drive?" He barked back.

He shook his head and got the car rolling once more after it stalled out. The open stretch of road seemed to go on for a long while, but he could not see Shadow's car anymore. He grit his teeth and his knuckles cracked as he gripped the wheel tightly.

"Turn here!" Fox pointed at the upcoming intersection.

"Did he go this way?" Blackburn asked as he slowed down.

"I don't know, but that road connects with this one near the bridge! If he went straight then we have a chance to catch him again!"

The rest of his words were drowned out when Blackburn turned and made him swing with the car. The road was smaller and had cars parked on both sides. He had little room for error and ran the chance of a head on collision.

The car lurched forward when he eased up on the clutch and he kept moving. They rounded the bend and far in front of them the buildings gave way to an open area. To the right was the bridge and going straight would lead them along the river.

All he could hope for was that Shadow was forced to slow down due to the traffic. With that thought in mind, the coupe sped up and roared like a lion announcing its arrival. The buildings and people zoomed by and the gap to the bridge got closer and closer.

When they got half a block away, Shadow's car blew by them and went to the bridge. Fox was right, but they missed their chance. Their suspect managed to evade the traffic and drove on like a man possessed.

The car slid again, but Blackburn did not ease up on the gas as he used the turn to keep the momentum going. It was a dangerous move, but he managed to steer the car clear of the oncoming traffic, getting a bunch of loud horns blasting in the process.

"Talk to me, Fox. Where's the highway that leads out of the city?" He weaved around another car.

"About a mile past the bridge. There's an onramp that leads to the freeway," Fox replied.

They had to get Shadow here and now.

The exit was coming up fast and Blackburn continued speeding up to catch Shadow. He reached the man's back bumper and they locked eyes as Shadow looked into his rearview mirror. The look in his eyes was one of fury. Both of them were determined to best the other in their tense race to the onramp.

Their stomachs suddenly dropped when the wheels left the ground upon touching the slope leading off the bridge. Two loud crashes hit the pavement and the cars bounced, swerving wildly as both drivers tried to take control of their cars.

A new sound met Blackburn's ears and it was one that he did not want to hear. Loud wails of police sirens came from behind and he took a second to look in his rearview mirror. Multiple red and blue lights filled his vision and he bit his lip.

"There's a park up ahead! If you hit him at the intersection you might be able to stop him!" Fox pointed.

Taking the chance, Blackburn sped up and was gaining on the car, but not fast enough. By the time he needed to be at the intersection it would be too late to hit him with a pit maneuver. There had to be another way! His hand graced his pistol and he spared it a quick glance.

"Take the wheel!" He looked at Coco.

"What!?" She gaped.

"Take the wheel!"

Coco's hands shot for the wheel when he removed his. He ignored her protests and shifted in his seat to aim out the window with his pistol. This was without a doubt the stupidest thing he could do, but there was no other option.

"Come on! Come on!" He growled.

His heart beat in his ears resembling drums with each thump. His breath steadied as his focus was on the target just out of range. The sweat trickled down his face and his hands were slick with it.

With another deep breath, he steadied his arms. Everything had slowed down as if it was put into slow motion. A quick check to the dashboard showed the speed stayed the same. He righted his head and gripped his pistol with both hands. Shadow's car was just starting to turn and would be shielded by another car making a turn towards them.

He did not know how or why, but Shadow's car was moving at snail's pace.

"Hold it steady!" He shouted.

A slight turn of the wheel to keep the car straight and Blackburn found his shot. His finger curled on the trigger and pulled. Bang! The first shot echoed in his ear like a clap of thunder. A fresh hole appeared in the back driver's door of Shadow's car.

He pulled the trigger again. Another loud bang and the bullet whistled through the air and struck the car just shy of the wheel well. His breath steadied and he fired one last time.

The bullet just beat the car before it could shield his and struck the rear tire. Rubber burst off and sparks trailed the tail as it sunk to the ground and spun out.

Blackburn ducked back inside and took control of the wheel again. They slowed down enough to complete the turn with ease and he floored it when he saw Shadow's car on the sidewalk.

A loud crash sounded when the front of the coupe smashed into the driver's side and continued to push it until it came to a rest against a street light. The impact threw the three of them forward, but the seatbelts kept them safe.

In front of them, Shadow stirred a bit as he lay slumped against his steering wheel.

Blackburn recovered from coming off his adrenaline rush and got out of the car. The world spun and he fell to his knees in a daze. He managed to keep himself from vomiting from the violent motion as his vision tried to recuperate. His head perked up when he heard a click through all the wailing sirens. When his eyes centered on Shadow's car, he could see his gun aimed straight for his head.

Another shot rang out and the bullet snapped when it hit the ground to his left. Shadow's shot narrowly missed him and it was all thanks to a hard punch to the face from Coco.

He let out a breath he did not know he was holding and grabbed Coco's hand and she pulled him up.

"How'd you do that?" She asked.

"What? Drive?" He looked at her.

"No. You made that shot when that car blocked it."

He said nothing as he continued to stare at her curious eyes. How did she not see the shot? He saw it plain as day. The tire was still in sight when he pulled the trigger and he hit it, simple as that.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I still had a shot on the tire, so I took it." He shook his head.

"Bullshit. There was no way you made that." Coco strode to Shadow's demolished car.

"Look, we can argue about that later. Contact Winter and let her know we got this guy."

He gave a nod of thanks to Fox for his help with the navigation and got a two fingered wave in return. Once he got beside the door he reached inside and unbuckled Shadow and grabbed the front of his hoodie. The man struggled weakly, still coming to terms with the hard punch from Coco.

"Come here, asshole!" He sneered, wrenching him from the window and pinning him to the ground.

Police cordoned off the area to keep civilians from interfering and another squad of them surrounded him, Coco, Fox and Shadow.

A humming noise came from overhead and a Bullhead came into view. Standing inside was Yatsuhashi, Velvet, Sergeant Green, Winter and the rest of the team. Even before the Bullhead touched down, Blackburn could feel Winter's piercing eyes on his back, threatening to set him ablaze if he so much as opened his mouth.

The ship landed and she hopped off and made a beeline for him, Coco and Fox. She gave a quick word to the police who dispersed to reinforce the perimeter around the square. Her heels clicked menacingly with each step she took and Blackburn did not deter his eyes from hers as he kept a firm grip on Shadow.

Winter stopped just a couple of feet in front of them. Her face was brick red with anger and he could see her shoulders shaking as she did everything in her power to keep from lashing out.

She glanced over her shoulder and nodded at two of her men who came and secured Shadow from Blackburn and put him in cuffs. When he was escorted to the Bullhead, Winter turned back to him with a nasty glare.

Before he could say anything, bright golden stars filled his vision. White hot pain filled his nose and he fell back against the coupe to keep himself from falling to the ground. He managed to crack his eyes open and saw the woman lowering her fist.

"When I tell you to stand down, you stand down. Do you understand me?" Her voice was like steel cutting through flesh.

He only gave a small grunt in return.

"Get on the Bullhead. We need to report to General Ironwood." She pulled him up before turning around.

Blackburn trailed after her with Fox and Coco beside him. No words were exchanged. There was nothing to say. Everything was said and done, and now it was a matter of progressing forward with their plans against Queen and Lotus.

* * *

 **And there we go. Shadow has been captured on a risky and dangerous plan from Blackburn. Now, that bit with Blackburn's adrenaline rush, it should be a little obvious to what that was, but that was his Semblance. It's not time manipulation. I based it on Michael's special ability in GTA V with bullet time. Bottom line, it slows things down by 90% for a few seconds which allows him to make quick movements while everything is still happening in real time, but it takes a lot of energy for him to do and leaves him with little coordination after using it. It can only be triggered sporadically at the moment, but it will grow as the story goes on.**

 **Statements:**

 **1) Next update October 22. That's right, same night as Volume 4's release for sponsored members.**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 10/4/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 10/2/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **OP: Observation Post**

 **ID: Identification**

 **SF: Special Forces**

 **Tier One Operator: The top 1% of the strongest soldiers that the military can offer. Examples being Delta Force and DEVGRU.**


	15. Grey

**Yo, I'm here with the update. I'm a little disgruntled since I won't be able to watch the volume four release for another week when they lift the First membership access only. Once again, I'd like to thank you all for the support with the favorites, follows and reviews. It means a lot. Keep dropping those reviews so I can improve to make my work more enjoyable for you. Anyway, let's get to the chapter. I have review responses posted at the end.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The White Fang member did not dare move as he stood before his boss. It was no secret that the man's temper was not one to be tested in regards to jokes or bad news. And for the poor man, he drew the shortest straw out of his group.

His arms and legs were snapped together as he stood at attention. He could feel the cool trickle of sweat as it fell behind his mask and down the back of his neck. His eyes slowly followed the occupant beside his boss' desk.

The White Fang Lieutenant was a force to be reckoned with and was the muscle for the boss if he did not want to waste his energy on a mere person like him.

"So, you mean to tell me that you have no idea where Shadow is?" The lieutenant asked, his voice deep and rough.

"T-that's correct, sir. He did not show up at our rendezvous point after he got the message," said the grunt.

An uncomfortable silence fell between the three members. The tension had become so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

The grunt shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he felt the eyes of the lieutenant and his boss bearing into him and anchoring him to his spot. He was almost too afraid to breathe out of fear from retaliation. Failure was not tolerated by either of the two in front of him and that's what made them a good duo to keep everyone in line.

It wasn't like he hadn't tried to salvage the incident. When Shadow did not arrive at their safe house outside the city, he tried to reach him on his scroll. He had called the runner three times and each call went straight to voicemail. Shadow always answered his scroll or replied with a text to acknowledge the person who tried to contact him. This was a big red flag.

"Did you try looking for him, Perry?" The lieutenant crossed his arms.

Perry gave a short nod. He had checked on three spots that Shadow frequented whenever he did a run. He wasn't at Junior's bar. He wasn't at the cheap convenience store to buy his cigarettes. Not even at the strip club. The man had vanished without a trace.

The lieutenant let out a low growl and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was doing everything he could to remain calm about the whole ordeal, but it would give way at some point. He was not a patient person.

When the lieutenant looked up to meet his eyes again, he could feel his sharp eyes staring at him. The piercing gaze kept him rooted to the spot.

"Perry, I'm going to give you one chance to unscrew yourself before I unscrew your head. Take three others and go back into Vale to find him. When you find him, you bring him back here. I don't care if you have to drag him here kicking and screaming, knocked out, or dead. Clear?" The lieutenant said.

"Yes, sir!" He nodded quickly.

"Good. Now get the hell out of here."

Perry gave a crisp salute and bolted from the room, leaving the lieutenant and the boss alone.

"What do you figure?" The lieutenant glanced at his boss. "Shadow's never let us down like this before."

"I'm aware of that." Sighed the leader. "I'm willing to bet that he was held up somewhere in the city."

The lieutenant gave a grunt and shook his head.

He thought the same thing, but wanted to see what his boss thought of the whole situation. The chance of him being caught by police or God forbid Atlas' security forces was the last thing they needed.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" He asked. "You know she's going to call us when we don't follow up with a message."

The red haired man muttered a small curse under his breath and stood up. Their partner had been nothing but a thorn in their side. She was manipulative and powerful which was the only reason they went along with her daring plan in the first place.

"I'll deal with her. In the meantime, I want you get those transports ready to ship to our hideouts to resupply our brothers." He picked his scroll off his desk.

"Got it. Let me know if you need anything else, Adam," said the lieutenant before departing the room.

Once the door locked shut, Adam sat on the corner of his desk and opened his scroll. There was no notification from her yet, but she would come around soon enough.

He growled and swiped the screen to dial her. He brought the scroll to his ear and he could hear the annoying ringing in his ears. One ring after the next came and finally after the third ring, he heard a small click as the line picked up on the other end.

"Ah, I was just about to see if you got the message," she said, her silky voice met his ear.

Just hearing her alone made his skin crawl. This woman was no different than those human parasites and needed to be crushed like the vermin she was. As tempting as it was to give into anger, he refrained from doing so.

"We have a problem…" said Adam.

* * *

Blackburn said nothing as he stood at parade rest in front of Ozpin's desk.

They arrived back at Beacon after a prompt exfil from the city's center. The ride back to the academy was just as silent as the one into the city the night before. It wasn't a bored silence, but one of anger and frustration between him and Winter. The rest of their teammates were just caught between the crossfire of their silent feud.

He could still feel the high strung lieutenant's eyes on him and sent her a look of his own from the corner of his eye. Their eyes met and it was almost like a clash of steel. Neither of them were willing to submit to the other for their actions and it would be the classic grey area. General Ironwood and Ozpin would be the ones to determine whether or not who was right and wrong.

Deep down he already knew what he did was insubordination for going against a commanding officer and it would land him in hot water, but since he was not enlisted in their ranks, he could not see himself getting anything more than a severe reprimand.

Team CFVY stood off to his right and silently waited for Ozpin to speak.

The headmaster's brow was furrowed in thought as he mulled over the report they gave him half an hour ago. He took another long sip from his mug before he leaned forward.

"I have to say, your handling of this was not ideal, Mister Blackburn," said Ozpin. "You knew full well that James and I prioritized subtlety for this mission to keep the public from panicking. I'm sure you're aware of the consequences this brings. Not just to us, but to you personally."

He stayed tough. No matter how bad it was, he would take responsibility for his actions. If there was one lesson his father taught him that he strongly believed in, it was to accept responsibility for everything you did.

He nodded at the headmaster who then leaned back in his chair and folded his hands.

Ironwood stepped forward and adjusted his tie. His eyes flipped between him and Winter. He had been relatively quiet during the debriefing and had let Ozpin carry it out.

It was possible he was trying to get an idea for what he wanted to say to him and Winter for the outcome of the whole ordeal. It was his turn to speak, and knowing the man's rank, he would have his fair share of words for the both of them.

"Ozpin is right," said Ironwood, turning his gaze to him. "You as a soldier should know that whatever your CO says, you do."

Blackburn bit his lip as he kept eye contact with the general. He could see the burning disappointment in his eyes and hoped that he would at least get a chance to explain himself. He paid no mind to the triumphant look on Winter's face. Getting sucked into another argument with the woman would only make things worse.

"Now, I'm not sure how the U.S. Army handles this topic, but I'll be willing to play devil's advocate here," Ironwood continued with a small sigh. "What was your reason for disobeying Winter's orders?"

The victorious look on the lieutenant's face was soon replaced with disbelief as she looked between Ironwood and him. He inwardly rolled his eyes. The man would more than likely give her time to give her side of the argument when his was done.

His reason was simple enough. Winter had made the decision on the first mission not to pursue him and apprehend him in turn for observing his pattern of life to make a better call when the time came. In his eyes, it was a wasted opportunity. Maybe it was the experience of two deployments that made him act the way he did on the mission, but he stood by it. She was willing to sacrifice the perfect opportunity to capture the man and repeat the same plan from before.

After giving his side of the argument, he could feel Winter's fiery eyes on him, but stayed focused on the general before him. The man's face had not changed from its blank state.

"I see." He turned to Winter. "Lieutenant Schnee, why did you choose to let Shadow go again?"

It was not an accusatory question, but one of genuine curiosity. The man wanted to know why his junior officer chose not to take action.

"I didn't feel comfortable about apprehending the target. I felt it would have caused too much of a disturbance and believed it was best to make a move later when we knew we had a better chance of capturing him." Her answered sounded rehearsed.

Blackburn rolled his eyes.

"Lot of good that did the first time," he muttered.

His words did not go unnoticed by Winter and she was quick to get face to face with him. Their fierce glares collided again and threatened to let sparks fly.

"It would have gotten better results than your foolish decision!" She sneered.

"Whatever gets you through the night, LT." He glared back.

"That's enough!" Ironwood rose his voice.

The general sighed and took a deep breath.

"Look, the fact of the matter is that both of you did what you felt was right. This is a bit of a grey area in terms of servicemen. Neither of you are right, but neither of you are wrong."

"But sir…" Winter spoke up.

"Winter, let me finish." He held up a hand.

The young lieutenant held her tongue and gave a small nod to let him continue.

"In terms of the mission, technically Blackburn should have followed your order to let Shadow go. But he was right as well. You can't let a potential threat go, especially if you gave them that chance the first time. There's no telling what will come if you don't eliminate a threat when it's in front of you," said Ironwood.

Winter only stared back at her superior, keeping her mouth shut as he continued to speak.

"What's done is done. Shadow is in our custody and will give us the answers we need. We just need to be sure to stop whatever the White Fang, Queen and Lotus are doing."

The general looked between him and Winter once more.

"Wherever we go from here, I want you two to let this go. We don't need any tension between your teams as these missions continue. Am I clear?" Said Ironwood.

Winter and Blackburn nodded back at the general and turned to face each other again. Blackburn was the first to hold out his hand for a shake, but she refused to take it.

She folded her arms and her eyes bore into him again.

"Why did you disobey my order? If you followed the orders of your squad leader and your CO when you served, what makes me so different that you did the opposite?"

Blackburn's hand lowered and he let out a sigh.

He did follow customs and courtesies and followed orders without question for the most part. It had nothing to do with Winter on a personal level, but more along the lines of watching history repeat itself while he was deployed.

* * *

 _Blackburn rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn as it threatened to escape his lips. He and Sergeant Carlson had been keeping watch over their objective for the past five hours. They were tired and lying on the sandy, rock filled ground only made it worse. It slowly chipped away at them and they were slowly reaching their limit. Nothing had changed since they took over for Busch and Harvick after their shift ended._

 _The small cluster of houses did not show much signs of activity. Only one person left the houses at a time to tend to a chore. Other than that, it had been dead. It was just part and parcel of playing the waiting game before their job kicked in and they could go to work._

 _For the time being, they had been tasked to an SF team to search for a known bomb maker that was part of a splinter cell group from Al-Queda. Their guy was supposed to be inside the center house of the village which was easily identifiable from the structure. It was two stories tall and had a small balcony with a couple of lawn chairs on it. And at that moment, Blackburn had the scope of his rifle fixed directly over the house, but zoomed out enough to see its entirety._

 _"What are the chances this guy's even here?" He asked Carlson._

 _His squad leader was silent for a few seconds before giving a shrug._

 _"I'd say fifty percent. ISR caught a guy matching this prick's description."_

 _"I hope you're right. I don't want this to be for nothing."_

 _Carlson turned to him._

 _"I'm not concerned about whether or not the S2 was right about this. I just want to know right now, can you make the shot?"_

 _The man gestured to the rifle he had between them. It wasn't a high tech one that some of the SF guys used, but it was enough to get the job done. Their job was simple. The second they confirmed the target's ID, they would radio higher and await further guidance on whether to take him out or let SF do their thing and capture him for questioning._

 _"Too easy." He patted the rifle._

 _Carlson nodded back at him, the smallest of smirks on his face._

 _He peered back through the scope and rested the crosshairs over the front door of the house. The door opened a second later and his head perked up just a bit._

 _A man stepped out a moment later and did a quick look around before pulling out a cigarette._

 _"Sergeant, I see our guy." His hand rested on the grip of the rifle._

 _"Brown eyes?" Carlson replied._

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Duck Dynasty looking grey and black beard?"_

 _"Yup."_

 _"Missing fingers on the left hand?"_

 _"Hopefully he's a righty."_

 _This was their guy. His heartbeat picked up just a bit in excitement. Regardless of what happened next, there would be one less bad guy to deal with._

 _"Sherriff, this is Prowler-One, over," Carlson said into his radio._

 _"Go ahead Prowler-One, over," was the commander's response._

 _"We have a positive ID on Farid Abd al Hakim. I say again, positive ID on Farid Abd al Hakim, over."_

 _Blackburn let his finger trail inside the guard and touch the trigger as they waited for the commander's response. They would be on a short window to make a move on him. His cigarette grew shorter with each puff and when he was finished, he would go back inside his house._

 _"Prowler-One, do not engage. Break. Let SF move in to make the capture, over," was the commander's answer._

 _"Roger that, we'll provide overwatch for Wolfpack. Out," said Carlson._

 _That was that. Keep an eye on the area while SF made the capture._

 _"Blackburn, keep your finger on that trigger. Shit can go wrong quick," he heard Carlson say to him._

 _"Roger." He gave a quick thumbs up._

 _Their SF team made their way into the village. It was comprised of four operators from Seal Team Six. The best of the best. They were capable of blending in with the populace by dressing like them and speaking the language._

 _The car they drove into the village was an old, beat up sedan to keep a low profile. It also gave them an easy exfil off the objective with Farid when they got their hands on him. They parked at the T intersection where his house was and two of them got out of the car, leaving the other two inside so they could keep a lookout around the houses where he and Carlson could not see._

 _He did another slow sweep of the town and saw two cars coming from the west. He nudged Carlson and relayed what he saw and he sent it up. Looking back to the town's center he zoomed in to see the two SEALs in the car. Both of them turned their attention between the west and the house in front._

 _A flash of light caught his eye and he turned up to see flashes of orange coming from the doorway of the house. The two SEALS that went in before were soon out in the open and moving to the closest house for cover from the bullets that chased after them._

 _"Sheriff, Wolfpack Actuaul, we're taking heavy fire from the house, over!" Came the SEAL team leader's voice._

 _"Roger. Do what you need to do to ensure capture of the target, over," replied the commander._

 _The two cars that were moving into the village from the west had arrived and came to a halt at the intersection. Flashes of orange erupted through his scope as bullets were exchanged between the SEAL team and the new team of insurgents. Glass shattered the windows of the cars and house around them. Whatever bullets didn't hit for suppression ricocheted into the houses or snapped off the ground._

 _Blackburn turned his attention back to the door of the house and saw their man poke his head out. His fingertip curled just a bit on the trigger as he got ready to pull once he got the order from Sergeant Carlson. He bit his lip when Farid began to make his way to one of the cars under the hail of gunfire. Once he got to the closest car, the back door opened and he climbed in._

 _"Sheriff, Farid is making a break for it in one of the cars. Do you want us to engage? Over." Said Carlson._

 _"Do not engage, Prowler-One. Let Wolfpack handle Farid, over," the commander replied._

 _"Sir, Wolfpack is getting shot the fuck up. They're not gonna' catch him at this rate."_

 _"Prowler-One, stand down! Wolfpack will handle Farid. Give them support so they can break contact, over!"_

 _As Carlson bickered with the commander over the channel, Blackburn kept the scope of the rifle on top of the car. He remembered every bit of information that was on his range card for the shot if he needed to take it. The wind was coming from the east in a light breeze. His target was eight hundred meters away and pulling further with each second._

 _He jumped just a bit when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder._

 _"Pop him, Blackburn," said Carlson._

 _"We're not supposed to kill him unless it's a last resort, Sergeant." He frowned back._

 _"I understand, and I don't care. You know what this guy has done with those IEDs since we got here. What do you think's gonna' happen if he gets away?"_

 _There was no guarantee that it would happen, but he already knew what his squad leader was getting at. If he did not take out Farid here, it would more than likely result in a mass casualty event in another village. If he took the shot and killed Farid, it would eliminate that threat, but they would be in hot water with command that could effectively end their careers._

 _"I'll take the heat on it. Just take the shot," said Carlson._

 _Blackburn continued following the car and spared another quick look to the SEAL team pinned down. They had regrouped after finishing off the three insurgents from the other car and were getting back in theirs._

 _"Sheriff, this is Wolfpack Actual. Our car's on flats, over," said the team leader._

 _Upon hearing that, he steadied his rifle and began to lead the car after he spotted Farid's head in the back seat of the driver's side. He calculated the shot in his head again and took aim. The breeze against the back on his neck stopped._

 _"Wind's gone, Blackburn. Fire."_

 _His heart had been hammering like wild as he anticipated the order. A rush of cool air swarmed his nostrils as he took a deep breath to steady his shot. He aimed just a bit ahead of the driver's window and pulled._

 _A loud bang reverberated around their position. Carlson was quick to call the shot._

 _"Low. Adjust fire high."_

 _Blackburn was fast with his correction and took aim again._

 _"Adjustments made," he signaled Carlson again._

 _"Fire!"_

 _He pulled again. Another loud bang sounded and this time his aim was true. The back window of the car was stained crimson and the car came to a screeching halt._

 _"Target down. Nice shot, Blackburn," said Carlson._

* * *

The gentle sound of clunking gears met his ears once again after he finished recounting his story to everyone. He was more focused on Winter's reaction since she was the one who asked him in the first place. The sternness in the lieutenant's face from before was gone, but a scowl of disapproval still played on her lips.

"You disobeyed my orders based on a gut feeling?" She asked.

"Look, you let that guy go before. You were willing to let him go again, and you can't do that. It gives him and his group more opportunities to make a strike," he answered with crossed arms. "What I didn't tell you in that story was that guy I killed ended up killing five soldiers and ten civilians with an IED two weeks before. That wouldn't have happened if we nabbed him when our sister platoon had the chance. They were told to stand down, and because of that, we lost good people."

Another breath through the nose and Winter's posterior relaxed if only just a bit.

"But it was still just an assumption you made based on the information you had," said Winter. "I already know that didn't end well for you or that sergeant."

His eyes narrowed just a bit and he pointed a lone finger at her.

"His name was Todd Carlson, LT. That man for me was like Sergeant Silva for you, so you can at least show some respect and use his name," he said with a firm tone. "Of course we got chewed out for that. I got put on every crappy detail known to man, given a negative counseling and issued an article fifteen. Hell, Carlson got demoted back down to sergeant, but we'd do it again. In my mind, we saved people by killing that guy despite our orders."

He sighed again and rested his hands on his hips.

Ironwood cleared his throat, garnering the attention of everyone in the room.

"While I understand both of your decisions, Mister Blackburn, I'm afraid I'll have to ask Ozpin to keep you off of any follow up missions regarding this for the time being," he said.

Blackburn frowned, but ultimately accepted the decision by the general. He did not deny the fact he was in the wrong for disobeying and half expected something like that as a result. It would have been worse if he had chosen to enlist into Atlas' military instead of choosing to be an assistant at Beacon back when Ozpin originally proposed it to him.

Ozpin had nodded at Ironwood's decision to keep him off missions unless told otherwise. The man's spectacled gaze then turned to him and he returned it without hesitation. He hoped his decision wouldn't have an impact as an assistant at the academy. He did keep his word to the man that he would keep Team CFVY safe.

"I believe we've made our points known. James, I'll trust you and Winter to handle Shadow and find out what he knows before we proceed with anything," said Ozpin.

Ironwood nodded at the headmaster and took a quick swig from his flask, much to the chagrin of Glynda who pursed her lips at the unprofessional look. When he tucked his flask away, he nodded at the elevator and Winter went to his side. They stepped into the elevator and Winter gave one last look towards him.

Blackburn locked eyes with the lieutenant and gave a subtle nod. They did not see eye to eye on some things and he may not have agreed with her decision, but he respected her. He did not want them to leave on a sour note and wanted to let her know that. Before the doors to the lift closed, she returned his nod.

"Mister Blackburn, I want you to know that while I don't approve of your decision on the mission, you did help us gain a potential asset. I will keep my word to James that you will not participate on future missions regarding this conflict unless we think otherwise," said Ozpin.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." He shook his head.

"You did well with keeping Team CFVY safe and I would expect you to keep that up when you and Glynda incorporate that Emerald Forest in your training tomorrow."

He blinked in mild surprise. He almost forgot about their trip to the forest to build the students' teamwork and combat skill. His eyes shifted to Glynda and she only nodded back.

"Right," he answered back.

"Now. I'm sure you would like some time to relax and make preparations for your class. Unless you have any questions for me, you are free to leave," Ozpin said.

He thanked the headmaster and made his way for the elevator with Team CFVY by him. They squeezed inside the small lift and began their descent down to the hall. The doors opened and they stepped out a second later. The afternoon sky shone through the windows. It was easy to lose track of time when doing work, and this was the prime case of it.

He walked with Team CFVY until he reached the end of the hall where it split two ways. He went left and they went right.

"Hey, Professor!" Coco called over her shoulder.

He turned to look at the brunette as she walked away with her team. She had a smile on her face as she looked at him from behind her sunglasses.

"That was some nice driving today."

He smirked back and gave a two fingered wave before continuing his stride down the hall.

* * *

 **We'll end it there. Check out story shout outs below and the review responses. The next update will be on November 5th. See you next time.-CaptainPrice**

 **Statements:**

 **1) Next update October 22. That's right, same night as Volume 4's release for sponsored members.**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 10/19/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 10/2/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **ISR: Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance**

 **CO: Commanding Officer**

 **IED: Improvised Explosive Device**

 **Range Card: When set up in a patrol base or position you will be occupying, soldiers are tasked to draw a sector sketch of their fields of fire to include distances, targets in their path, etc.**

 **Article 15: Within the UCMJ is a provision for punishing misconduct through judicial proceedings like a court-martial. The UCMJ also gives commanders the authority to impose nonjudicial punishment, described in the UCMJ under Article 15. Article 15 provides commanders an essential tool in maintaining discipline. The Article allows commanders to impose punishment for relatively minor infractions.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **iliketacoslikealot: Because I never played the game F.E.A.R. so I did not know about this character or the slow motion ability. In all honesty when I did a comparison when looking at gameplay, there was no clear difference between Michael's or Point Man's.**

 **GoldSpark1: Glad you like the chapter. Now you are right, technically what Blackburn did in the last chapter would could land him in hot water with an Article 15 which could effectively end his career or land up with him being reprimanded, demoted, put on limited work, etc. To add to your little bit about him joking while in combat or ranting, soldiers do that all the time. It helps with the stress.**

 **Apothecary Spartan889: Hmm, guess I see it too.**

 **wpago: Hah, nope, no E4 mafia here. Dude, have you seen a headquarters unit? I've seen the E4 mafia a few times, but in those headquarters units, you gotta' deal with an O1/O2 and even 03 mafia.**

 **OBSERVER01: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it and felt that his semblance wasn't too OP.**


	16. Leader

**Damn it to hell. I apologize for missing the deadline. Drill hit me like a punch from Mike Tyson on Saturday and Sunday which required me to write a freakin' annex for an OPORD so that sucked up all my time on the weekend. But I'm here now, so let's get to it! Thanks a bunch for the continued support with the favorites, follows and reviews. I know these stories are very iffy since OCs tend to suck something fierce, but I'm glad that Blackburn seems to be doing well.** **Drop a review and let me know what you thought so I can continue to improve and make this story more enjoyable for all of you. I'll see you all next time.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Team JNPR slowly crept through the Emerald Forest, alert for the smallest movement and sound. Blackburn kept true to his word and had designated their team to be the first one to test the new training method. Jaune was calm when he and his team were called forward at the start of class and did not pay much mind to the looks he got from his sister teams.

Their task sounded easy enough, but it would all boil down to what his calls as the leader would be. They were told to recover a golden queen chess piece in the heart of the forest. It was crawling with Grimm and the only way the lesson would be called to an end is if they retrieved the piece, or if they ran low on Aura.

Jaune was at the head of the group and leading them through the trees. He had never been as focused as he was at that moment. A lot was weighing on his mind and he was eager to prove to his classmates that he was more than capable of pulling his weight. He was a tactician at heart, not a fighter, but that would not stop him either way.

His blue eyes scanned the trees again like a hawk searching for prey.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha spoke up.

"Hmm?" His head turned to her.

"What is it?"

He shook his head, his blonde bangs swaying with each shake.

"It's too quiet. I don't like this," he answered her.

"Well, would you rather it be quiet or facing an army of Grimm?" Nora piped in, her eyes suddenly widening at the thought. "Actually, that'd be fun!"

"Nora, keep your voice down. You'll draw any Grimm that are nearby," said Ren calmly.

Nora merely rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. She begrudgingly nodded, but had a wide grin on her face. The thought of taking out some of the nightmarish creatures excited her and would provide entertainment for her otherwise bored state.

Jaune gave a silent nod to Ren who returned it, but his attention was soon directed to the west. His hand shot up in a tight fist and everyone in his team froze. His brow furrowed as he tried to pinpoint the exact spot he heard the branch snap. Not moving a muscle, he turned his eyes as far as his peripherals allowed him. To his left was a thicket of bushes and a couple of trees.

He felt Pyrrha's presence beside him after she tiptoed over to him.

"What did you hear?" She whispered.

"I heard something snap over there." He whispered back, nodding to the thicket on his left.

"Do you want to see what it is?"

He shook his head.

"No. We're just here for the chess piece. Let's grab it and go," he replied.

He looked back to Ren and Nora and held a finger to his lips before creeping forward again. His footsteps were almost nonexistent on the grassy floor.

When his team continued their walk through the forest he kept his ears sharp. It was possible that the branch he heard earlier was just a random critter, but his gut told him otherwise. The forest was packed with Grimm and there was a strong chance that they just avoided one, possibly more. He did not want to fight unless it was a last resort.

He held up an open hand this time to signal the halt. He took another step forward and searched the trees in front of him again. It took a moment, but he was able to see a clear break in the trees in front of them. They were close to their objective and a grin spread across his lips. They did it.

Jaune took off for the clearing almost like a deer fleeing from a predator. His movement was swift and graceful. His feet barely made a sound as he dashed through the trees.

He broke through the trees and stumbled into the clearing. His eyes fell on the golden queen that rested on a small stone pillar. The sunlight reflected off of the figure, almost making it resemble a divine being in the darkest night. It just sat there begging to be taken and he was more than ready to snatch it and call their little mission a success.

Nora, however, beat him to the punch. She raced forward and raised the queen figure high into the air, a beaming smile on her face.

"I'm queen of the castle!" She cheered.

"Nora!" Ren cut her short.

The color drained from Jaune's face and he rested his hand on Crocea Mors ready to draw it. Any silence they had to remain undetected was now gone and it did not take a fool to know that they were compromised. The chill that went down his spine only added to that realization as his eyes darted from one end of the clearing to the next as he waited for any nearby Grimm to jump out and attack them.

His heart thumped in his chest and his fingertips were slick with sweat as his nerves ate at him. It only doubled when he heard the brush around them rustling. Another chill went down his spine as his blood ran cold and he silently cursed to himself.

How many Grimm were around them now? Ten? More? Either way, they had their work cut out for them.

"I think we're about to have company, guys." Jaune looked at each of them.

"What do you want to do?" Ren asked.

Jaune's eyes flicked back to the trees and he could see three figures moving in front of him. Their red eyes meeting his as they weaved between the bushes and trees.

"We can't run, so we'll have to fight our way out." He drew Crocea Mors. "Once we get a break from the fighting we'll make our way back to the start point."

"You got it, fearless leader!" Nora saluted him as she pulled out Magnhild.

Ren and Pyrrha nodded at his decision and they all got back to back and waited for the Grimm to emerge from the trees. One by one, the Grimm trudged out from the forest and skulked towards them, their sharp teeth poking out in nasty snarls and ready to tear into their flesh.

"Just like the Breach. Nice and quick," said Jaune.

The small group of Beowolves and Ursai charged forth.

Jaune raised his shield and grimaced in discomfort when his arm throbbed from the heavy hit. His knees buckled just a bit, but he kept his stance strong and he thrust forward and sent the Beowolf back. Upon doing so, he got the opening he needed and lunged forward with a hard stab. Crocea Mors pierced the chest of the Beowolf and it burst into wisps of black smoke a second later.

He then ducked under a set of claws and narrowly dodged them again before stepping forward with a slash. The blade cut clean through the Beowolf's arm garnering a howl of pain from the creature. It was cut down with another slash.

"Watch out!" Pyrrha shouted.

Pyrrha jumped between him and another Beowolf that was bent on attacking him while his back was turned. She blocked its claws with her shield and stabbed up with Milo impaling the Grimm through its jaw.

Ren was making quick work of the Beowolves that dashed for him. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he watched their movements and let his shots fly from StormFlower in controlled bursts. Each of his shot groups met their mark on a Beowolf's chest or dead center in the head for a quick kill. The few that managed to get close enough were cut down by the attached blades. There was one last Beowolf in front of him and when he locked eyes with it, it growled and ran towards him.

He, too, ran and skipped off the ground to move in a graceful slide across the grass. His back was just grazing the small blades of green and his ears rang lightly when he let loose two bursts of fire into the Beowolf's stomach as he slid under it, just narrowly missing its sharp claws.

"Nora smash!" Bellowed the energetic, orange haired girl.

Magnhild swung down with such force on the Ursa's crown that it plummeted into the ground and made a small crater. Its hind legs flew high when it did a face plant into the earth and it twitched before bursting into nothingness. The sheer power alone seemed to stop the other two Ursai in front of her for a moment as if her brutal kill made them briefly reconsider attacking her at all. But before they could move, Nora was already on them and they were introduced to the blunt end of her hammer, sending them into the trees with a thunderous crash and out of sight.

"Nice hit, Nora!" Jaune praised her.

"Thanks, Jauney!" She grinned back.

The blonde boy did a quick look around the clearing and saw no more Grimm in sight. Their skirmish had caused enough noise to draw more. His eyes then flicked back to Nora and he saw the queen figure snugly secured in her belt.

"Let's go!" He waved them back towards the trees.

Pyrrha, Nora and Ren were soon on him, but they ground to a halt when they heard two more growls behind them. They turned and were greeted by two larger Beowolves, but they looked different in comparison to the ones they disposed of just a couple of minutes ago. They were taller, more bulky, and their masks had different patterns of red on them.

"Alphas." Ren held his machine pistols at the low ready.

Jaune bit his lip. While he was sure they could take on the alphas, they were a lot tougher and would only wear them out. He only had two options and neither one of them were good in his mind. His eyes then glanced back at the queen figure Nora had and then they moved to Pyrrha.

A small grimace formed on his lips and her eyes widened just a bit before she vehemently shook her head.

"No!" She mouthed.

"Get ready to run," he whispered back to her. "Nora, give the queen to Ren."

Nora shrugged and lightly tossed the golden figure to her partner. He caught it and tucked it into his pocket and held his pistols up again.

"Okay, I want you three to start running back that way." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

He felt all of their eyes on him. Ren's brow was raised in suspicion. Nora was no different with her furrowed brow as she eyed him. Pyrrha was the most visibly disturbed if her tight frown and glare was anything to go off of.

"I'll distract them so we can pass the test. I'll be right behind you," he said.

"Jaune, I don't think…" Ren began, but quickly fired shots at the alphas when they charged at them.

"Go!" He waved them away.

Ren sent him another look and glanced back at the alphas he managed to stop with his gunfire. They were standing back and looking between them and his leader.

"Hey! Over here!" He shouted at the Beowolves.

Their gaze immediately snapped to him and they growled again. He could almost see their hair stand on end as they eyed him and began to creep closer.

He didn't wait for his teammates to sway him from his decision and immediately bolted away from them. The alphas gave chase and he tuned out everything around him. He did not even hear his team as they called out for him.

Jaune burst through one bush after the next and was almost taken aback at his luck. He managed to avoid getting wrapped up in the snaring thorns and stayed ahead of the alphas just enough to not get cornered.

His biggest challenge would be holding them off long enough for his team to arrive with Professor Goodwitch or Professor Blackburn. Fighting them on his own was out of the question. Alphas were tough and even though he often dozed off in Professor Port's classes, he remembered the portly man saying that junior Huntsmen were advised not to engage them unless accompanied by their team or a seasoned Huntsman. Not only were these alphas strong, they were fast and more durable than the normal Grimm.

If there was just one of them then he would have had his team blitz it since they had numbers. With two there were too many moving pieces and left room for friendly fire, and it normally took two at the minimum to bring down one. Distracting them was his best option and he made sure to get that point across his team regardless how they felt about his decision.

He was broken from his thoughts and literally pulled into the ground. Tiny lights burst in front of his eyes and his vision swirled violently as he tried to push himself up. Looking over his shoulder he spotted a vine of thorns wrapped around his ankle.

Thinking fast he held Crocea Mors high and brought it down in a swift slash. The adrenaline and desperation to escape from the alphas granted him incredible focus. When the vine was severed he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled back with his shield high. His blue eyes darted around in front of him to pinpoint the alphas, but they were nowhere in sight.

His heart pounded in his chest and he could feel the throb in his eardrums. His shoulders rose and fell as his breath left in quick pants, but soon slowed when he took larger ones in. Beads of sweat trickled down his face and the bangs that clung to him brought an irritating itch with them. He strained his ears for the smallest sound, but heard nothing and that made his blood run cold.

They were still out there. They had been on him the entire time and for them to vanish like they did was a red flag. Crocea Mors shook lightly in his hand as he scoured the trees again.

Where did they go? They were smart, but there was no way they lost him.

 _"They should've been right on top of me…"_ He shook his head.

He perked up and his eyes widened in realization.

 _"Crap!"_ He dove to his right.

A loud thump came from the very spot he was just a moment ago.

He rolled to his knees and stared into the blood red eyes of the first alpha. Its teeth were showing in a nasty snarl and the growl it gave promised nothing but pain.

Jaune took a chance and stole a look to the trees above. He spotted the second alpha perched on a branch and glaring down at him like an eagle ready to make a dive.

He gripped Crocea Mors tight and kept it ready to make a strike when he had the chance. Once he got the opening to run, he would take it. It was too crowded in his current position and he needed more room to move freely if he wanted to stand a chance.

Black entered his vision and he instinctively skipped back to avoid a wild slash. The fine points of the first alpha's claws caught his eye and he swallowed just a bit. It made to slash at him again, but this time he was ready. He ducked under the claws and his feet pushed off the ground with his shield out for a hard shave. His shield smashed into the alpha's side and knocked it off balance.

He followed through with his technique and stepped forward with a vicious slash of his own.

A sickening squelch met his ear and he blinked in disbelief when he saw the outstretched arm of the Beowolf on the ground. The howl of pain from said Grimm shook him from his stunned state.

He jumped away and avoided the second alpha just in time. It landed beside the first and was ready to pursue him again. With one alpha now incapacitated, it gave him the window he needed to break away. He spun on his heel and took off in the opposite direction.

A grimace marred his face as the air and sweat graced the fresh cuts on his face left behind from the countless thorn bushes. The stinging sensation made him clench his fists, but he kept pushing. His team would be there with Professor Goodwitch any second and he just needed to be in the open for them to see him.

He soon found himself in a clearing, but to his horror, it was also a dead end. To his back was the forest he escaped, and in front of him was a drop off into a large chasm. He cursed under his breath and looked to his left and then his right. Neither showed a route of escape from what he could see.

"Crap!" He spun around and held his shield high.

The two alphas emerged from the tree line and separated to block off any chance of escape.

He swallowed what little saliva was in his throat and tried to come up with another plan. Even though he severely wounded one of the alphas, they were still stronger than him and had the power to overwhelm him the second they attacked.

His eyes trailed over his shoulder and looked to the chasm. It gave way to endless black and offered little grip if someone or something were to fall in. The wheels in his head began to turn and he returned his focus to the Beowolves in front of him.

He kept his shield up defiantly and carefully began to inch his way back to the chasm. He estimated that he was at least ten feet from the fissure and mentally counted down each step.

 _"Eight… seven…six…"_ His eyes flicked between the two alphas. _"Come on!"_

He stopped when he was four feet away and lowered his guard. Crocea Mors swung out and rang against his shield two times in a taunt.

"Come on! Too scared to get me?" He smirked, but he was silently fretting his harebrained plan. _"This is a very bad idea! What are you doing?!"_

His words elicited a pair of growls from the alphas and they dashed for him. He sucked in his stomach and managed to worm his way between two sets of claws. The sound of fabric tearing met his ears and he looked down to see his jeans and the side of his hoodie now had tears through them.

He saw the wounded alpha just inches in front of him and pushed off the ground with everything he had just as it turned around. With a loud cry he swung his shield out for a brutal bash. His arm seized up and tingled as the steel protecting it absorbed the hard hit and collided with the Beowolf's head.

The Beowolf went stiff as a board and its eyes rolled back before it stumbled to the edge. It let out a surprised cry when it lost its footing and fell from sight.

Jaune blinked in surprise and his nerves were soon replaced with a surge of confidence. That was one! Just one more to go!

He quickly turned to meet the other alpha, but was caught by surprise when it was already leaping for him. The air was sucked out of his lungs when he felt the full weight of the Grimm crash into his stomach. His eyes went wide and his mouth opened to regain whatever air he had.

The force of the hit knocked him from his feet and he rolled dangerously close to the edge. His stomach was soon in his throat when his legs slid over the ledge and flailed wildly below to find something to grip. His knuckles where white with stress as he clutched at the ground and tried to reach for Crocea Mors that was just at the end of his fingertips.

Hot, rancid breath met his face and he slowly turned his head to look up into the open maw of the alpha towering over him. His mind was shouting at his body to move, but it did not. It was petrified in the fearful realization that was looming in front of him.

Jaune felt his fingers slipping in the grass and his body sunk inch by inch into the gaping chasm.

His eyes met the last alpha's again and it stood up on its hind legs, arm back and ready to scratch at him.

"Jaune!" He heard Pyrrha's voice.

Three loud shots echoed around the clearing Jaune was able to see his partner stepping closer to the alpha with each shot she fired. Her eyes were fixed in a fierce glare that threatened to set anything they graced ablaze. Behind her was Nora, Ren, Professor Goodwitch and Professor Blackburn. All of them had their weapons drawn and aimed directly at the alpha.

The alpha let loose another growl and ran at them, but was met with a volley of gunfire from Pyrrha, Ren and Blackburn. Nora refrained from firing her grenade launcher and opted to keep an eye for any new Grimm that may be drawn to the fight.

The alpha staggered back towards him and he quickly and carefully began to move his hands on the edge and out of the Beowolf's path. It was just hovering by the ledge, but was finally sent toppling over after a courtesy flick from Glynda's riding crop.

Jaune watched the alpha barrel over the side and into the abyss below, its red eyes grew dimmer and dimmer until they vanished into the darkness. When it was out of sight, he gulped at the possible fate that could reach him if he did not pull himself up.

His fingers slipped and his stomach soared into his throat once more when he slipped deeper. He tried to pull himself up, but in doing so, he lost his grip and fell.

"Gotcha'!" Blackburn grunted.

Two firm grips were on his hands. Pyrrha had his left hand in a death grip and Blackburn had his right. Their faces scrunched up as they pulled him back on solid ground where he was soon wrapped up in a tight hug from his partner.

"Don't ever do that again!" She hissed into his chest.

"I'm sorry," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

Ren, Nora and Glynda hurried over to them. The other two members of Team JNPR joined the hug session between their teammates, thankful that their leader was still in one piece.

Meanwhile, Blackburn looked on at the scene with a small smile.

"It's lucky we got here when we did," Glynda whispered to him.

"Yeah…" He nodded in agreement.

"Despite this little episode, I'd have to say this was a good change of pace, Mister Blackburn."

Blackburn looked at the spectacled woman and saw the sincere smile on her face. He was not sure what to expect after seeing the grave looks on Team JNPR's faces when they arrived back at the start point. The look on the blonde woman's face was not promising either when it was set into a fierce glare.

"Really?" He asked.

She nodded back.

"Combat is an excellent way to test a student's capability and rank them as a Huntsman, but I feel that seeing what teams can accomplish when together and put into an environment like this will allow more insight into our curriculum to what should be essential to become a Huntsman. It's not just strength of body, but strength of mind, teamwork and leadership from what Mister Arc has shown us today."

He looked back at Team JNPR and saw their smiling faces, happy for the safety of their leader and the success of the test as the first team to try it. It was a good confidence booster and it would prove to be a motivator for other teams to try and outdo the other in a form of sportsmanship.

"Well, let's get back to the start point. I'm sure Professor Oobleck would like to return to his office to finish preparing for his next lecture," said Glynda.

"Right behind you," said Blackburn.

* * *

He whistled at Team JNPR and nodded after Glynda. Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren marched ahead of him, but the blonde boy lingered back to walk beside him.

"Thanks for saving me back there, Professor," said Jaune.

"Don't worry about it." He dismissed it with a shake of his head. "On a side note, you did well."

Jaune tilted his head a bit as if in disbelief of his words.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Because you led your team well and kept them safe. You may not be the best fighter, but your best weapon is the one between your ears." Blackburn pointed at his forehead.

Jaune scratched the back of his head as if he were embarrassed by the praise.

"You know, ever since I got here I've always asked myself why Ozpin chose me to lead them." He pointed at his team. "I mean, he could've chosen Ren or Pyrrha. They'd probably make better leaders than me."

Blackburn frowned and looked at the boy's teammates. The kid was serious about his career as a Huntsman and was very critical about the smallest mistakes he made. His self-esteem was so low that he could not see the good qualities as to why he was chosen in the first place, or why his friends looked to him for guidance.

Normally this would be the time a senior NCO or CO would talk with a soldier during a counseling session if they were having doubts like this and how to improve themselves. He was not one for coming up with something on the spot, but he usually could forge his words of encouragement by referencing some of his favorite movies or miniseries he would watch on HBO.

"You want to know something about leadership, Jaune?" He looked at the blonde.

"Sure," Jaune said with a nod.

"Where I come from, it's defined in different ways and styles. Leaders in the military have to be able to adapt, act, and make decisions. One thing I will tell you now is that I've seen good leaders and bad leaders, sadly more bad than good."

"What makes a good leader, though?"

Blackburn rested a hand on his shoulder.

"To me, it's someone who leads by example. Someone who is dependable. Someone who holds people together. Keeps their spirits up, keeps them focused and gives them direction. All the things a good leader does."

Jaune was silent as his words hit him. His eyes were downcast, possibly in deep thought as he mulled over what he said. He continued to encourage the teen beside him.

"During my time as a soldier, I've only seen two people embody these traits. The first was my squad leader, Sergeant Carlson. The second was my PL who was a lieutenant fresh out of the schoolhouse, Jack Coen. But recently, I've seen a third one since I arrived here."

The blonde finally perked his head up and looked at him. When he said nothing, Blackburn smiled lightly.

"You have no idea who I'm talking about, do you?"

"No, Professor." Jaune laughed a little bit.

"It's you, kid. Ozpin chose you to be the leader of your team because he saw the same thing I do. I see a kid who has the ability to bring out the best in others around him and guide them to victory in the most difficult challenges. You're not afraid to go with your gut and do what you feel is right, and once your mind is made up, there's no changing it."

Jaune's eyes widened just a bit when he said that and he blinked owlishly as he comprehended the words he hit him with.

"Okay, chick flick moment over. I want you to start believing in yourself, because you if don't, all those that look to you will lose faith in you too. And that can't happen, especially if you're a leader."

With that, he gave Jaune a hard shove forward and sent him stumbling into his teammates. There was almost an immediate shift in his personality the second he was surrounded by them. His posture was more erect and he had a large grin on his face.

He let out a sigh and jogged up to Glynda to walk beside her.

"You know, I never asked you why you chose Mister Arc's team to go first." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

He turned back to his boss and gave a lighthearted shrug.

"I just thought he'd show his classmates that there was more to him than his combat record, and I was right."

Glynda blinked and then smiled.

"Yes…" She looked back at JNPR. "You were."

* * *

 **So a very JNPR/Jaune focused chapter here. My goal is to have Blackburn interact with a lot of the characters and bring out different expectations from each of them. Check out the statements, review responses and story shout outs below. Congrats if you spot the reference in this chapter.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next update November 19th**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 11/8/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 11/8/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **PL: Platoon Leader**

 **CO: Commanding Officer**

 **NCO: Noncommissioned Officer**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Xx Lima Beans xX: Thanks for the review and I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Now in all honesty, I probably will not do that. If I were to incorporate the acronyms into the story like you're suggesting it breaks the flow in my mind. Putting them at the beginning of the chapter is just extra information that people probably won't read since they want to skim/read the chapter. I'll keep it at the end. My solution for you would be to shoot to the end of each chapter, see what terms there are and then read it after looking at them.**

 **ODSTFRymann: Thanks! Wish I knew what exactly what it was that you loved about it, though. Are you talking about the characters? The plot? What exactly about it do you love?**

 **OBSERVER01: Thanks for the review. I'm not familiar with Sun Tzu's Art of War, save for a couple of quotes, so I'll have to take a look at that.**

 **Goldspark1: Thanks a bunch for the continued, detailed reviews, I appreciate it. Now to answer the first question you had about relationships. Blackburn is 20 in this story, so if he were to get involved with anyone under 18, it would be considered statutory rape, even if he was given consent. The only girls that he can really go for would be Coco, Velvet and probably Winter since they are legal and near his age. But going back to his status as a teacher, if he were to get involved with Coco for example, it would be grounds for termination of employment. Teachers aren't supposed to be involved with students. In terms of a military relationship, I'd have to go digging through the various ADP, ARs and all that, but to answer your question, military personnel can marry each other, but I'm not sure off the top of my head whether or not it has to be officer-officer or NCO-NCO level or if it can be mixed. I'm on the fence about whether or not I want Blackburn to be in a relationship to be honest.**

 **For your second question, another review named wpago answered it pretty well. I went through ROTC, so I'm not sure how much is covered in Basic Training, but I'd imagine that all soldiers are taught what is inside the medical kit and how to apply the gauze and treatments to specific body parts until they can get proper treatment from a doctor. Other than that, I'd only see medics or doctors really getting deep into the weeds with that topic on medical training. There are some opportunities for soldiers to take a combat life saver class (CLS) to become more acquainted with advanced techniques for medical treatment.**


	17. Ink

**Made the deadline! Thanks again for the continued support, everybody. It really means a lot to me that you are following, favoriting and reviewing this story. I know OC stories are usually crappy, but hopefully this has exceeded the standard and stood out as a gem compared to the majority of them. Anyway, let's get to it. Let me know what you thought after you finished.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter stormed out of the holding room, seething at the lack of progress she had made with Shadow. She figured she would have been able to get him to break, but he proved to be tougher than she expected. The threat of violence did nothing to get him to talk, so she took it a step further and had Sergeant Green rough him up just a bit to make good on her word.

Each hit that her sergeant gave looked more brutal than the last, but it did not make the man speak. He remained silent and stared back at her as calmly as his swollen face would allow him.

Her fists clenched tight when she saw his crooked smirk spread across his face, mocking her of her failure.

Her feet stopped and she stared at Ironwood's door. She was at her wits end and needed to ask her superior on how to best handle the situation. She raised her hand and her knuckles gave two hard wraps.

"Lieutenant Schnee reporting," she said.

"Come in," was Ironwood's muffled reply.

The door hissed open and she marched inside. She stopped just in front of the general's desk and folded her hands behind her back. The man's eyes met hers and he leaned back in his chair after setting his pen down.

"What can I do for you, Winter?" He asked.

"He won't talk, sir." She sighed. "Sergeant Green and I couldn't get him to say anything."

Ironwood leaned forward and folded his hands under his chin. He motioned for her to relax and she let her shoulders drop from their stiff state. He silently mulled over his lieutenant's words.

Much like Roman Torchwick, Shadow was proving to be resilient in keeping his mouth shut. Neither he or the infamous crook cracked under the pressure they put on them and they relished in the clear failure that followed. The mockery was more on Roman's end than Shadow's, but the latter could be just as bad the longer they tried to get him to break.

Interrogation was an interesting concept and much like any profession, a science that was only successful when in the hands of those who knew what they were doing. Extracting information required a sit down between the interrogator and the detained individual. From there, the interrogator would talk with the detainee and ask simple question that could range from something as simple as their personal life or up to what they did with the organization they were affiliated with. The whole purpose was to find what made the individual tick and to exploit any weaknesses to use against them in order to make them break.

He had no doubt that Winter followed the protocol with Sergeant Green, but it was not her area of strength. She could lead, fight, and make decisions much like his other officers, but interrogation was something she was unfamiliar with. Her temperament was another issue. She was well composed for the most part, but when her buttons were pushed, all the patience she had was discarded and she would go from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.

It was a big flaw in her character and that was what Roman did to trigger her time and again. Shadow must have done the same thing.

"How did you approach the interrogation?" He asked.

"Calm and collected. I started just like the specialists do by asking simple questions, but he treated it as a joke," said Winter with a scowl.

"And he saw that it got a rise from you and it fell apart from there?"

Winter visibly flinched at that and he let out a sigh. His theory had been correct.

"Don't worry about failing, Winter. This isn't your area of expertise, so you can naturally expect to struggle," said Ironwood.

"I don't like to fail, sir." She clenched her fists.

"Everyone fails at some point, and whoever says they don't is a liar. All I ask is that you learn from this."

Her fists shook in frustration before she let out a shaky breath to calm herself down.

"Then how can we get them to talk? Anyone that has ties with us has tried and they all failed," said Winter.

"You're right. Anyone that's had ties with us, that is," he said with a nod.

Winter blinked and tilted her head at her superior's words. She had worked with the general long enough to know that he gave her the hint she needed to proceed and achieve her goal.

"Do you think Blackburn can help us?" She asked.

"Possibly. He may be able to help you come to a decision with how to proceed." Ironwood leaned back in his chair.

She folded her arms and sighed again. Her options were limited. Getting Blackburn to shed light on what she could do would help, but whether or not his ideas were ethical and followed protocol was another story. She had seen firsthand what he did when he disagreed with someone's decision and did not want to risk him sabotaging the only lead they had to get the jump on Lotus and Queen.

Her other consideration was to contact Qrow and see if he could get further than she did, but that was a last resort. Pride played a small part in that and she did not want to admit anything to the old drunk's pleasure just so he would lend a hand.

"I'll go talk with Blackburn, sir," she said.

"Very well. Let me know what he tells you," Ironwood answered with a nod.

She snapped to attention and saluted him before she turned on her heel and marched to the door. Just as her hand rested on the knob, Ironwood spoke again.

"By the way, you're off duty now. I don't want you to stay cooped up in your office. It's important for officers to establish relationships and maintain them with their soldiers and friends."

She looked over her shoulder and saw the warm smile on the man's face.

"I don't…" she began.

"Winter, don't lie to me. You hardly go out and have a life outside of work. All I ask is you take time to relax and clear your head. It helps more than you know," he said.

Her mouth closed and she nodded back at the man.

"Yes, sir."

She closed the door behind her and looked down at her uniform. It was still as spotless as the day she first got it and wrinkle free.

As she thought about it, she could barely remember the last time she wore something other than her uniform aside from sleeping. She rubbed her chin and began her trek back to her quarters.

"I wonder if I still have those in my closet," she muttered to herself.

* * *

Winter was able to locate Blackburn's office with little difficulty, thanks to a quick call to Ozpin who pointed her in the right direction.

The man's door was closed and she briefly wondered if he was still inside and willing to talk. She hadn't given him a proper warning to prepare himself and briefly reconsidered the whole idea. Her hand was raised and ready to knock on the wooden door, but she could not bring herself to do it.

 _"It's important for officers to establish relationships and maintain them with their soldiers and their friends."_ Ironwood's words reverberated in her mind.

She shook her head, her bangs swaying lightly in front of her eye. She made a commitment and would follow through with it.

Her eyes flicked down to her clothes and did a quick check to see if she looked presentable for their talk. Her beige pants were wrinkle free and hugged her hips. They still fit, despite not having worn them for almost a year. Her white shirt was stain free and her heels were polished.

After feeling comfortable with her state of dress, she gave three hard knocks on the door and waited for a response.

It came back immediately.

"Door's open!" Blackburn's voice called through.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

To her surprise, the man's office was spotless. His desk was free from any books and papers were stacked neatly in a tray. There was no trace of dust on any of the bookshelves or counters to his small kitchenette. The sinks were empty and shone in the light.

She half expected it to be the stereotypical pigsty, but was surprised to see everything was pristine.

Looking towards the window she could see a bar bolted into the ceiling in front of it and tilted her head in mild curiosity. Was it there for a quick morning workout, or was it possibly used as a drying rack for his clothes?

She was broken from her thoughts when a series of footsteps met her ears and she felt something nudge her leg. When she looked down she came face to face with a panting corgi who had a ball in his mouth. He looked up at her expectantly and the ball gave a loud squeak when he bit down on it again.

The ball the dog was holding fell from his mouth covered in spit and it rolled and graced her heel. Her face scrunched up at the disgusting, slobbery toy.

What did the dog expect her to do? The dog then looked at the ball and back up at her and she quickly pieced it together before vehemently shaking her head.

"Oh, no. That's not going to happen," she said to him.

The dog merely tilted his head and repeated his action to which she denied.

Back and forth the little charade went until she finally rolled her eyes and picked up the ball. The rubber was slick with spit and she groaned inwardly at touching the germ covered toy. She stood up and saw the dog jump into a play pose as he waited for her to throw it.

"Fetch!" She threw the ball to the back door where the bedroom was.

Just as she did, Blackburn stepped out minus a shirt and had to play a quick game of dodgeball to avoid being hit in the face.

"Jesus!" He saw the orange spit covered ball soar past him.

Zwei barked and leapt into the air and caught the ball, landing on top of the bed. The ball squeaked again and again as he chewed it happily.

Blackburn turned back to her with a raised brow and walked to his desk.

"Is that the way you say hello to people?" He asked, opening his fridge.

"That was an accident," she replied calmly. "Is that the way you greet your guests?"

She gestured at his shirtless state. It looked as though he had gotten out of the shower if the smell of body wash was any indication.

Blackburn looked himself over and shrugged with a small smirk.

"My office, my rules. It's not like you introduced yourself," he said, pulling out an energy drink.

"That's beside the point!" She looked away. "You're a professor and should carry yourself as one!"

"Assistant professor." He corrected her before sitting on the edge of his desk.

She shook her head and watched as the corgi darted from the room and ran to Blackburn's side.

"Can you please put on a shirt? I came here to talk to you about something," she said, averting her eyes again.

"You blushing there, Winter?" He teased.

"No, I'm not."

Her response was quick, but she could feel the burning sensation on her cheeks. She would not give him the luxury of teasing her.

"Tell you what, we'll play a quick game. You win, I put one on. You don't, you'll have to talk to me like this," he said.

"Can you stop acting like a child for one minute?" She retorted.

"Jeez, you're way too uptight, you know that?"

She rolled her eyes at the provocation and let out a sigh.

"Fine, what's the game?" She grumbled.

"You ever hear of two truths and a lie? It's real simple. I'll tell you three things about me and if you guess which one of my statements is bullshit, you win." He took a drink.

"Sounds simple enough."

Blackburn let out a small chuckle and set his energy drink down on the desk.

"Okay, here we go," said Blackburn holding up three fingers. "I have three tattoos. I have a truck and a classic muscle car back at home. And I can shoot forty out of forty targets at the range using iron sights only."

Winter listed each statement off in her head and bit her lip. One of those could easily be answered. She opened her eyes and glanced back at Blackburn who stood there patiently waiting for her answer. Her eyes roamed his upper body and she could make out three tattoos. One on his back, on his ribs, and the last was on his arm. That was one truth.

Given his background as a soldier, the third one was another strong possibility, but it was not an easy feat. Shooting all forty targets for an expert qualification was challenging enough.

Then came the second statement. This one could just as easily be another truth. She had seen how he chased Shadow down in the sports car and that also alluded to him possibly having a muscle car back home. There was a fifty-fifty chance she could get this wrong.

"Well, you got an answer?" He asked.

"Yes. The two truths are your tattoos and your vehicles. The lie is hitting all the targets at the range," she answered confidently.

Her sure victory was dashed when she saw his lips curl up in a smirk. He made a loud buzz with his mouth and shook his head.

"You were right with the tattoos, but wrong about the cars. I sold my truck before I went on my second deployment, leaving me with just my GTO Judge. I can shoot all targets at the range," he listed them off.

"I had no way of knowing that!" She shot back.

"I made it easy for you. I was in a line unit, you should have known I spent loads of time at the range and practicing qualifying."

Winter shook her head and turned her eyes away again. His laughter slowly died as he walked back into his bedroom. He returned a minute later with a shirt on and sat at his chair, offering her to sit down in the chair opposite him.

"Why did you put a shirt on? I lost the game," she said, taking her seat in the chair.

"True, but I could tell you weren't comfortable with it either," he replied with a small smirk. "I was right, wasn't I? You've never seen a half-naked man before, have you?"

She felt the warmth return to her cheeks, but forced it back down and sent a sharp glare at the specialist before her.

"I haven't," she muttered.

Blackburn let loose another laugh and took a drink from his can. He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye as he settled down and leaned back in his seat. One he finished his mocking, she looked him in the eyes and relaxed in the chair. It was just a quick conversation and then she would go.

"Do you want a drink?" He offered her.

She looked at him and then to the fridge to his side.

"What do you have?" She asked.

"Energy drinks, some beer, water, and milk." He opened the fridge.

"That's it?"

"Hey, I'm a simple man. You'll only find the necessary things in there."

Her options were limited once again. She was not one for energy drinks, and milk was not something she went for unless it was during a meal. That left her with water or beer. Outside of wine, she never had other alcoholic beverages and was tempted to give beer a try.

"I'll try the beer." She pointed at the sealed bottle.

"Good girl." He pried the cap off and slid it to her. "That one's pretty good if you want to just chill for a bit. Tastes a lot like Blue Moon."

"Blue Moon?" She rose a brow.

"A well-known beer back where I'm from. Usually my go to."

He pulled out his own bottle and snapped the top off. He then held his bottle out towards her and she blinked in mild confusion.

"Cheers," he said.

She looked back at her bottle and then to his. Going on a gut feeling she lightly tapped her bottle against his with a small clink. It was oddly satisfying to hear that sound. She followed Blackburn's lead and took a long drink from the bottle.

The cool contents graced her tongue and she almost coughed at the taste. It tasted somewhat heavy and had a small bite to it. When she swallowed it a small shudder went down her back and she looked at the beer with a conflicted expression. She wanted to hate it, but she liked it as well. The taste would undoubtedly take time to get used to, but it was not awful.

"If you don't want it, I'll take it," said Blackburn.

"No, it's quite all right." She shook her head. "I want to finish it."

He nodded and took another drink from his bottle before kicking his feet up on his desk.

"Okay, so why did you grace me with your presence this afternoon, LT?" He asked.

She took another long drink and let it rest in her mouth before swallowing it. This time it went down smoother and was more tolerable than the initial sip.

"It's in regards to Shadow. He won't talk," she said with a sigh.

"Not giving in to the interrogation?" He asked.

"Precisely. I've tried following the protocol our specialists use, but he saw through it and mocked me. So, I had Sergeant Green rough him up a bit to try and show I was serious with my threats."

Blackburn took another sip from his beer and hummed under his breath.

"And that did nothing, huh?" He pressed further.

"Of course it did nothing!" She scoffed. "That's why I'm here. I wanted to know how interrogation was handled where you come from."

He chuckled a bit and finished the last of his beer. He set the empty bottle on the desk and stretched his arms over his head.

"It varies for different units. For us, whenever we caught some prick we were after we had the MPs detain them and then they would get interrogated by some CIA contractor. Those contractors have their own methods that give them leeway to an extent that would otherwise be out of line because it doesn't fall in line with military regulation. They spend time with the detainee to see what makes them tick and who they are as a person before using what they learned against them," said Blackburn.

"So, no different than what we do." Winter sipped her beer again.

"We used to follow a very psychological trick that was effective, but it was banned because it was deemed unethical by a bunch of politically correct, butthurt people."

Ignoring the crass language, Winter motioned for him to elaborate further on it.

"It's called water boarding. It is supposed to mess with the detainee to make them think they're really drowning when in actuality they are just having water poured on their face with a towel over them," Blackburn continued.

"That seems a little extreme, doesn't it?" Winter replied.

"Hey, it got some of the most wanted terrorists to break and spill valuable intelligence that helped us in the long run. I'm just offering my view on it. Personally, I say fuck those guys, they got what they deserved."

She let a breath out of her nose and took another drink from her bottle. The last of its contents traversed her throat and she rested it on the desk with a dull thud.

Although she did not find much differences from the interrogation standpoint that Blackburn shed light on, she did make a note of the water boarding and decided to share it with Ironwood when she got the chance. It would be a longshot for him to agree to it, but maybe he would be willing to follow through if there was no other choice.

"Would you be able to help us interrogate Shadow?" She asked.

Blackburn rose a brow and took his feet off the desk.

"I don't know jack about interrogation or how to do it." He shook his head. "How can I possibly help you with that?"

"Because you're not affiliated with Atlas or the military," she began. "Granted you caught him and he may be hesitant to say anything, I feel you could get him to say something."

He rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Fine, I'll be willing to give you a hand, but don't expect me to get anything from him. All I can do is act out crap I've seen on TV," he said.

"Act out? What do you mean?" She rose a brow, an amused smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Just that. I can act out interrogation scenes I saw on TV and that's about it. I mean, I can do a good Jack Bauer impression if it comes down to it."

"Who's he?"

Blackburn cleared his throat and lowered his voice to an intense whisper.

"A guy who talks to bad guys like this. Whispering, but whispering very loudly for dramatic effect!"

A snort escaped her and she covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Out of all the soldiers she worked with, she never met one as quirky as the man before her. Sure, they did not see eye to eye on a bunch of things, but he was not a bad person. In fact, it was almost a breath of fresh air from the constant professionalism her life was consumed by.

Her eyes fell upon the tattoo on his right bicep and she took in the details. It had a helmet resting on the butt of a rifle that was embedded behind a pair of boots with a name scribbled on top of it with a pair of dates.

"What's up?" He got her attention again.

"Sorry," she said with a shake of her head. "I was looking at your tattoo."

His eyes flicked to it and he shifted his arm for her to get a better look and he rolled up his sleeve. He was a little surprised when she reached forward and graced it with her fingertips.

"What made you want to get that?" She asked.

For the first time that night, Blackburn's face fell. He reset his sleeve and ran a hand through his hair.

"I got it to honor my best friend from Basic. We went through Basic and OSUT together and got put into the same unit. He died midway through our first deployment after an ambush on our patrol," said Blackburn.

Winter nodded again, now understanding the meaning behind it. She read the name on his arm once more as it stood clear as day. "Thomas M. McDermott."

"Did you get all of your tattoos from similar experiences?" She asked.

Blackburn shook his head and pulled his shirt up enough to show the last two. The first one she saw was the one on his ribs. The design was another unique and creative one. It was as if his flesh had been torn open to reveal the inside of his body, but instead of seeing anything gory, it was a red, white and blue flag like the one she saw on his uniform the night she met him.

"Got this one after my first deployment. The idea behind it is to show my love for my country that I bleed red, white and blue," he said, turning to show the last one on his back.

The last tattoo had no wild pictures or artwork, but it looked like a passage from a book. Her eyes read the words from left to right. "Greater love hath no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13."

"Got that one after finishing high school. It was a birthday present from my dad and I got it after realizing why he stayed in the military and kept fighting," he said, pulling his shirt back down.

Winter nodded again and folded her arms. She never understood the logic behind having your body marked with ink. It may have been interesting and been a great idea at the time, but in the long run it just looked like discolored blotches on your body when you got old.

"What about you, LT? You got any ink?" He gestured to her body.

She quickly shook her head.

"No, I don't. If I even got one, my father would throw a fit and I have no desire to deal with that," she said.

"I don't blame you. You'd be more unique without one nowadays, anyway," he replied with a small smile.

She returned his smile and got up from her chair. "I suppose so."

He got out of his chair and walked her over to the door and opened it for her, allowing her to step out into the hall. He leaned in his doorway and bent down to scratch Zwei's head when he appeared.

"Just tell me when you want to interrogate Shadow again and I'll see what I can do," said Blackburn.

"Of course." She nodded at him. "Thank you for telling me what you knew, and the beer."

"Any time, LT. You need an answer or just want to talk, come on in."

A genuine smile spread across her lips and she turned on her heel and began her march back to the docks. She heard his door close behind her and thought about his last words. General Ironwood made it known that she needed a life outside of work and to have people she could talk to. While it started off awkward and she had to endure teasing from the man, her conversation with Blackburn was pleasant for the most part.

 _"You were right as always, sir."_ She rounded the corner.

* * *

 **So Winter and Blackburn spend some time together from one soldier to another. Winter gets information on interrogation and hopes to use Blackburn as a key to get Shadow to break. One thing I want to mention, I know that I said this originally was going to be about 25 chapters, but since I added some stuff and delayed parts of the story for character development, we're now looking at possibly 35-40 chapters. Anyway, check out the statements and review responses below, and I'll see you next time. -CaptainPrice**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next update December 3rd.**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 11/14/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 11/8/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **CIA: Central Intelligence Agency**

 **Basic/BCT: Basic Training**

 **OSUT: One Station Unit Training**

 **MP: Military Police**

 **LT: Lieutenant**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Goldspark1: Thanks for the review, as always. Now I wanted to show the difference between Team RWBY and JNPR in terms of combat and carrying out a mission. Both teams are different and it all starts with Jaune and Ruby's leadership styles. Ruby has strategies in play for when a fight starts, but we haven't seen her think on the spot or use tactics to ensure noise discipline when in a dangerous environment. Jaune, on the other hand, is capable of coming up with strategies and is more conservative when it comes to leading his team to ensure they use everything to their advantage.**

 **While I agree that Jaune's tactic to protect his team was reckless, I felt I could see him doing that. Especially in light of everything that's happened in the show. He's sick of losing everyone and everything, and he seems like the guy that would do something reckless like that if it meant to protect those he cared about. Medal of Honor worthy, but more than likely a fatal action at the end of the day.**

 **OBSERVER01: Thanks for the review. It was a good confidence booster for my favorite character, but the whole situation with the women department... that's something he has to figure out on his own. No matter how sad it is to watch his obliviousness.**

 **TopHatGuy: ...Huh, hate to break it to you, buddy, but you lost this bet miserably. Bet you can't drop much critique for this chapter.**


	18. Trust

**Merry Christmas, folks. I want to apologize that this is, what, a month late? Personal family issue popped up and required me to help out around my grandparents house to give them a hand and I also got a promotion at work that is taking a lot out of me since I don't have any training and they're putting me through the ringer to get me up to speed to be a machinist. I would like to apologize and let you all know that I will make it up to you soon enough.**

 **Thanks again for being patient and your continued support. Let's get to the chapter.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury stared at the television. None of them said anything, but the amber eyed woman was bristling with anger. She had called Adam days earlier to see if the courier relayed the message to them like he was supposed to, only to find out that the courier had gone missing without a trace. It was not just unacceptable, but the whole act itself was almost impossible to comprehend.

Shadow had never failed her or Adam in delivering a message, and for him to do it now was a red flag. After Adam's scouts went out to look for him after he missed the window, they came back empty and at that point, they took to the television. It was there that they learned Shadow had been captured by a small Atlas task force and taken into custody, putting their plans in jeopardy.

The fabric of her uniform bunched between her fingers when she clenched her fists, her lips pursed in a thin scowl.

She watched the replay of the video again.

Shadow's vehicle had been slammed into a streetlight and pinned him inside. Then the man who crashed into him clambered out of the other car with two other teenagers. Upon seeing the three occupants that got out of the car, she, Emerald and Mercury were thrown for a loop.

It took a moment, but they were able to tell that it was the assistant professor to Glynda Goodwitch's class and two of the upperclassman from Beacon.

"So, what are the chances that the guy broke?" Mercury leaned back against the bed.

"We're still here, aren't we?" Emerald sent him a look.

"For now."

While the two of them continued their back and forth bickering, Cinder tuned them out and furrowed her brow in deep thought. They were now in a bind.

Every second that Shadow remained in custody from the Atlas military, they ran the risk of not just their secondary plans being compromised, but their main objective as well. The Vytal Festival was still a couple of months away and that was the only time they would be able to carry out their mission to ensure the best outcome.

From here, she had a couple of options. The first was to have Adam move some of his men outside of Vale and lure Atlas into a game of attrition, but that was not feasible and was only a last resort option. Her second choice would be to use Neo to sneak around the ship Shadow was being held to learn the layout and security detail before sending her to silence him. And her third was to contact her superior and suggest moving the plans up ahead of time to avoid losing their chance to carry out their plans.

"What do you want to do, Cinder?" Emerald looked at her. "Do we move up with the plan?"

"We'll have all of Beacon on top of us if we try that now." Mercury scoffed. "For a thief like yourself, you have to know that's a crappy idea."

"I don't see you coming up with anything! All I'm saying is that this changes everything and we lose every chance we have with this mission!"

"Why don't we let her decide?"

Cinder's eyes snapped open and she glared at the two of them, immediately shutting them up.

"It would be in your best interest to keep your heads. Losing our composure will do us no favors in the long run," she said with a calm, yet firm tone.

"Yes, ma'am." Emerald bowed her head.

"Mercury raises a point. Going forward with the plan this soon will only result in failure. It has to take place during the festival."

Mercury sent Emerald a smug look, getting a sharp glare in return. Before another exchange could take place between them, Cinder spoke up again.

"If Shadow broke by now, we'd be running. We'll continue as planned. I'll contact Neo and have her keep an eye on Shadow and deal with him should he break. In the meantime, I want the two of you to watch Blackburn and those upperclassmen that were with him on that mission. If they were the ones that caught Shadow, they're more than likely aligned with the Atlas security forces."

Mercury gave a light shrug and Emerald nodded back, agreeing to follow her lead.

"Let's go, Emerald," said Mercury, standing up and moving for the door.

"Where are we going?" She raised a brow.

"Vale. Might as well get a jumpstart on our job, right?"

"But why are we going there now?"

Mercury opened the door and smirked at her again.

"One, I'm hungry and don't want cafeteria food. Two, I overheard Ruby saying that she was heading into Vale with Blackburn and her team."

"You couldn't have just said that from the beginning?" She crossed her arms.

"I'm saying it now, aren't I?"

The door closed and the two of them left leaving Cinder alone. She rubbed her eyes and pulled out her scroll. She blazed through her contacts and found the number she was looking for and pressed the call button.

The ringing met her ears and came to a stop when the line clicked on the other end.

"I have a job for you. Message me when we you get into Vale."

* * *

Blackburn sighed as he looked between the two parts in front of him. He had greatly underestimated how much thought went into getting the best parts for his weapon to make sure it worked to its fullest potential. His only saving grace was the bubbly girl beside him as she fired off each pro and con for the two parts that would act as his close combat function for his weapon.

The first piece was the three foot blade that would act as his close combat weapon. It was long and would require him to use two hands to use it effectively, but it would do the job perfectly and give him decent speed to counter enemy attacks. The second piece was a small switch that would be fitted opposite of the magazine release and would activate the blade function with a simple flick, and again to switch it back to its gun mode.

"I mean it's really up to you, but I say that a smaller blade and lever would be the ideal choice since it will allow you a faster transition, but that's just me," said Ruby as she looked between the two parts.

"I think the switch will work just fine. The lever would just be distracting, and I'm not even sure where we could put that without accidentally activating it," said Blackburn.

"Oh, okay! Your weapon, your call. I'm just here to help!"

She picked up the switch and the blade and gently set it on top of the other parts in their cart. She looked at the list and crossed off the two pieces and went to check the last three parts that were needed to finish his weapon. The barrel, the stock, and a sight. She tucked the list back in her pocket and placed one foot on the cart and pushed hard on the floor with the other.

The cart's wheels rattled on the tile floor and grew faster with each push she gave to shoot down the aisle.

"I swear, she is a child." Weiss shook her head, hurrying after her partner.

Ruby rounded the corner and vanished from sight, but a loud crash came from the end, prompting Weiss to run after her.

"I'm okay!" Ruby called from the next aisle.

Blackburn started to walk in the direction Ruby took off with Blake and Yang by his sides. From the start of the trip into the city, he had been able to learn quite a bit about Ruby's team. He only knew snippets on each of them, such as Weiss being Winter's younger sister and heiress to the SDC and Ruby's partner. Yang being Ruby's half-sister. And Blake… he did not have much to go on save for the fact she always appeared to be buried in a book.

However, he did have a lot of assumptions on the latter that he could not help but think were true with how she acted. She was a fairly quiet person in class, usually reading whenever he saw her, giving her the vibe of a loner.

His eyes shifted just to the left to look out of his peripherals, and he could see Blake's eyes doing the same. She was able to disguise it well, but not well enough.

The three of them rounded the corner and found a knocked over display. Ruby was scratching the back of her head sheepishly as Weiss berated her for having no sense of respect for property.

Feeling eyes on his back again, Blackburn took a quick glance and the second he did, Blake's eyes darted down to her book.

"You know, if you got questions for me you can just ask, right?" He looked at her.

Blake perked up in surprise at being called out and her bow twitched slightly. She closed her book after marking the page and tucked it into her belt.

"How long did you know I was doing that?" She crossed her arms.

"Long enough. So, what's eating you?"

"Nothing."

"Right. And that's why you keep looking at me?"

Blake's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms in a defensive manner. Their little talk was quick to catch the attention of Yang who looked between the two of them. The blonde's eyes twinkled mischievously and she gave a teasing grin to her partner who only glared back. Sensing the subtle ply, Yang butted into the conversation between the two of them.

"You know, Professor…" Yang nudged his elbow lightly, her playful tone never leaving. "There's been some cool stories going around Beacon about you."

Blackburn's eyebrow arched up in interest and he turned to Yang, missing the thankful look on Blake's face.

"Define cool," he replied

"Well, I've heard you're a heck of a driver. There's also another one about you pulling a guy out of a car to catch him…"

Blackburn blinked lightly and scratched the stubble on his face.

"This one's more of a rumor, but people think you and Coco are a thing."

He almost tripped when the last one left the blonde's mouth and turned to her. The teasing grin on her face only grew when he gave her a hard stare.

"We are not a thing." He gave her a knife hand.

"You sure? I've seen you two in the gym a lot working out together," she continued with a smirk.

"It's strictly platonic. Besides, don't you think Ozpin would have fired my ass by now if that were true?"

Yang gave a hearty shrug, the smirk still present on her face.

"I guess so, but you never know. Maybe he's into forbidden relationships and how they play out. Blake, you're the smut reader. Doesn't that sound plausible?"

Blake's eyes were sharp when they fell upon her partner. She did not look amused in the slightest. There was a small tint of pink on her cheeks that could have been passed as embarrassment or anger.

"It's. Not. Smut." She growled out.

"Right, sorry, I meant hardcore porno." She nodded.

"Right, so don't… wait, it's not that either!"

Yang laughed and stepped back to avoid her partner's hand and took off down the aisle to escape the flustered girl's fists. The black haired girl merely pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to calm herself. The pink on her face had grown significantly and she muttered curses under her breath that would make the most seasoned sailors do a double take.

Blackburn found the childish interaction between the girls amusing. Back home he only had a handful of women friends, with most of them being in support units. And although he did not see them as often as he liked, he could not help but wonder if they acted similar to Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Blake. The four girls had personalities that were widely different, but they acted like the closest of sisters. It was eerily similar to how he and his fire team interacted during his deployments or during drill.

He was brought back to reality when he felt a light tap against his arm and looked to find Ruby looking up at him holding the next two parts in her hands. One gun barrel and a pair of sights.

"You said you were looking at a sixteen inch barrel right? I got one right here!" She wiggled it with her fingertips.

"Yeah, that's the one," he said.

"And standard sights?"

"Yup."

"Great! Now we just need a stock and we'll be in business to assemble this baby!"

Ruby gently sat the parts in the cart much like she did the other pieces, similar to a mother attending to her baby. He could not help but smile inwardly at the odd behavior. Had Ruby been in the military, she would have exceeded the standard for weapon maintenance for any senior NCO. She was not kidding with the fact that her weapon was her so called baby. He had seen the pristine condition her scythe was in and had to give her credit for her devotion to keep it as such.

A small part of him had a feeling she was the kind that would point out someone's weapon status if it did not pass her standards. With that in mind, he made a mental note to keep his weapon in top shape should she try to sharp shoot him whenever she was near.

His eyes perused the glass display before him and he looked between the various stocks. Much like the guns back on earth, they had a selection between a collapsible and non-collapsible stock. He preferred being able to adjust his weapon to fit accordingly and was dead set with finding the perfect stock that would grant him a comfortable use and a smooth transition should he get into a close quarter engagement. The biggest challenge was trying to find one that would serve well as a hilt to hold his weapon when it shifted into a blade.

He picked up both stocks and held one in each hand. Both were thick to absorb recoil, but the one in his right hand felt better when he gripped it. His eyes flicked between the two stocks and looked at the notches to see where they would extend. The first went out four and the second went out six.

"Well?" Ruby asked beside him, rocking on her heels.

"Just trying to get a feel," he answered back.

"Well, duh! Which one is better, though?"

He held up the stock his right hand and Ruby took it with a quick swipe.

"There, was that so hard?" She puffed her cheeks out.

"Clearly," he retorted with a roll of his eyes.

Ruby stuck her tongue out and pulled out the list, scratching off the last of the items. A grin spread across her face and she tucked the list away. She placed one foot back on the cart and pushed off with a quick burst of her Semblance.

Her joyful ride was literally brought to a halt when a large glyph appeared under the cart. The instant snag caught the little reaper off guard and she let out a startled squeak when she flew over the front of the cart and into a rotating display with a loud crash. The contents from the display was spread over the floor with the scattered rose petals.

"I'm okay!" Ruby's hand shot up from the pile.

From his side, Blackburn heard Weiss sigh and stride forward. Her heels clicked loudly as she made her way to her partner and the glyph vanished a second later.

"And that was the impact replay of the day," he muttered following after Weiss.

* * *

After cleaning up the mess that Ruby made after flying off the cart, they paid for the parts and left the store to grab lunch. The midday rush made the streets and restaurants congested with people as they made their commute. They had gone from one restaurant to the next to find a place to eat, but ultimately settled on a small noodle shop.

Blackburn and Blake opted to find a place to sit and wait for the line to die down while Yang, Ruby and Weiss went to place their orders. There was an open table near the back corner of the dining area. They reached the table with Blake taking the seat towards the wall, no doubt leaving room for one of her teammates to sit beside her.

Blackburn remained standing and cleared his throat, garnering Blake's attention.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Do you mind if I sit there?" He nodded at her chair.

Blake rose a brow in curiosity and closed her book on her finger to talk with him again.

"What's wrong with that one?" She gestured to the seat opposite her.

"It's… a personal thing. Can you just humor me, please?" He crossed his arms.

"Tell me why and I'll let you have my seat."

Blackburn's eyes narrowed into a hard glare. It would be unprofessional and childish if he were to be just as stubborn to the girl before him. At the same time, he was in no hurry to divulge much about his personal life.

"I'm not playing this game with you. I'm going to ask you one more time, nicely. Can I please have your seat?" He calmly replied.

"My offer remains the same. Tell me why you want this seat and I'll give it to you. I think that's perfectly fair," said Blake.

A swarm of cold air flooded his nostrils as he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and silently counted down to keep his temper under control.

"I don't like having my back to the door." He jerked his thumb to the next seat. "Out."

Blake gave a light scowl and got out of her seat, taking the chair opposite the one she was in a moment before. He let out a comfortable sigh as he sat in the chair and let his back sit against the rest.

His eyes flicked up and he saw the girl looking down at her book again, but her eyes remained near the top of the page.

"You got something else you want to say to me?" He asked.

Blake did not answer him immediately. She took her time to finish reading the page she was on before closing her book and returning his stare.

"There's more to that answer you gave me," she said.

"What's your point?" He countered back.

"My point is that if you're going to give an answer, don't leave it incomplete."

"You know, you can say that to my face without hesitating, but what if it were reversed? Wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

The corner of Blake's mouth twitched, confirming his answer. He was by no means a debater, but he reveled in his small victories when they came.

"What about you? Why are you so interested in learning about me?" He challenged.

"Well, you are hanging out with us. I would like to know a bit about you if this continues happening," she said.

"I guess you have a point, but that's only fair if you do the same for me. I mean, I've seen how all four of you act in class and outside of class, and I'm pretty good at reading people."

Blake put her book away and leaned back in her seat. She folded her arms and looked at him long and hard. He had seen that stare many time before, having used it throughout his military career. It was a look of deep thought that was developed from all the observations that were being taken in the moment. She finally gave him a curt nod to his proposition.

"You're not one to be social unless someone talks to you. From what I've noticed, you are always buried in a book, but you always seem to be looking over your shoulder for something," he began.

Blake's amber eyes narrowed a bit at his words, but she remained silent to let him continue.

"You're reserved and that normally falls in line with someone who's running from something, hiding something, or is intent on living a life of solitude. So, which is it?"

The girl looked down and leaned forward on the table.

"That's… an accurate statement, but like you said earlier, I don't think that constitutes me to give you a complete answer. I'll admit that I'm more of a loner save for when I'm around people I know and trust, but I have my reasons why I am the way I am," she answered back.

"It's going to be pulling teeth with you, isn't it?" He smirked.

"I don't know you well, so I don't trust you with a lot of my personal beliefs."

"Fine, but don't get mad at any assumptions I make through our talk."

Blake nodded again. Her answer gave him a picture of how their conversation would go. There was a high possibility that anything she said could be a lie since she did not trust him like she did her teammates. His only chance would be to provoke a reaction from her regarding certain points that came up in their talk, but most importantly, he had to break the ice on the level of trust they had for each other. Which was zero.

She along with her team only knew some of the barebones about his past and what he did when he was back on Earth. Just a war story and a few of his hobbies. Nothing more than that.

"Fine. I want you to be comfortable when you talk with me, so I'll humor you and open up just a bit," said Blackburn.

"Okay. How do you plan to do that?" She leaned back in her chair.

"Let's break the ice with that question you asked me before we sat down."

Her head perked up and it may have been a coincidence, but he saw her bow twitch just a bit.

"I don't like having my back to a door anywhere I am. I've been like that since the end of my first deployment," he said.

"Does this go back to your first kill you told us about?" She quickly replied.

He nodded.

"I almost died that day because I had a blind spot. It was luck and adrenaline that saved me from that," he continued. "It's made me paranoid ever since. I always have that nagging feeling someone might come behind me and kill me and I can't do a damn thing to stop it. I'm terrified of things I can't see coming, so I make it a personal comfort of mine to always be facing any threat. My office is set up like that and so is my bedroom."

There it was. His direct and honest answer for the girl when she asked him about it in the first place. It was something he rarely shared. Partly because it made the conversation awkward when it came up and it made him vulnerable. The other was because there was only a handful of people he could trust with that information.

With what he had observed of Blake, he had a feeling she was one he could trust with such information.

"I can relate to that," she said.

"Good, because it's your turn to share." He rolled his finger for her to continue.

Her brow creased just a bit, but she was quick to relax.

"And you didn't lie to me with what you just said?" She rose a brow.

He blinked, his face remained stony.

"You still don't have some trust in me? I just told you one of my biggest fears and how to kill me if you wanted to do it."

His words were like the crack of a whip with his short delivery and made her wince just a bit. She bit her lip and uttered an apology. His face softened a bit when she did so and she took a deep breath.

"When I was little, I became a part of a group. I was proud of what they stood for and believed in their cause and wanted to help achieve their goal," she began.

"I'm sensing a huge but coming," he said with a smirk.

She gave him a light glare and the smirk was quick to vanish from his face. Humor was a no go to lighten the mood, and clearly had no place for it in Blake's eyes.

"Needless to say, certain individuals felt that more had to be done to reach our cause. We lost sight of our basic principles and became more extreme with our methods. Over time, members had a change in heart and tried to leave the group, but those that did were hunted down and taken care of."

He listened closely to her words and did not need further explanation to know what happened to those who left and what came next.

"I personally couldn't stay after everything we began to do and vowed to keep the dream alive through nonviolent means. So, during a mission with a partner of mine, I escaped and managed to lay low ever since."

"And that's when you came to Beacon?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Are you afraid that you'll draw them to your friends?"

Blake flinched at the question and her hands formed into tight fists. She met his gaze and her eyes were filled with nothing but determination.

"I won't let them hurt those I care about. If they tried, I would stop them and I know my friends would, too," she said firmly.

Blackburn had paid close attention to everything Blake said. He could not detect a trace of deceit in what she said or in her facial expressions. Everything she told him was true and she meant it from the bottom of her heart.

His respect for the woman grew just a bit. In a way, she was similar to him. She had a purpose in her life and wanted to reach it like a lot of people. She also valued and loved her friends and was prepared to stand by them and protect them from anything that threatened them.

He had no idea which group she was affiliated with that prompted her to start anew, but it made him curious. The way she described it made it sound similar to a nonviolent civil movement, but when she went further, she suggested it had become similar to a terrorist group. And although she claimed she was no longer a part of it, it was worth making a mental note of. Unless he could confirm it for himself, he would give her the benefit of a doubt and remain wary of her.

"Well, with that out of the way, let's start over," he said, holding up his hand. "I'm Connor Blackburn. Former soldier turned assistant professor at Beacon Academy."

Blake eyed his hand and took it with her own. Her grip was not weak, but it wasn't strong either. It was one of caution. She had lowered her defenses enough to talk with him and granted an opportunity to start a friendship.

"Blake Belladonna. Huntress in training and book enthusiast," she said with a small smile.

He returned the smile with his own and leaned back in his chair just as Yang, Weiss and Ruby came with their food. The line had gone down and his stomach gave a loud growl.

Weiss turned to him with a raised brow.

"Was that your stomach?" She asked.

"Yup. I'm starving." He got up with a stretch.

"Then get something to eat. That was disgusting."

"Sure thing, princess."

Weiss gave him a light scowl and picked up her fork to wrap up some noodles.

"So, what were you two talking about?" Yang looked between them.

He glanced at Blake and gave her a subtle nod. They would keep their conversation between each other as a sign of trust. However, she would learn soon enough that if they were going to be friends, she would have to deal with his smart ass nature.

With that in mind, he pulled out his scroll and sifted through some of the saved pictures that his cellphone transferred over to it.

"We were just talking about our first impressions of each other," he said, finally stopping on the picture he wanted.

"Really? What did Blakey say about you?" Yang answered.

"She thought I was an asshole."

"Language!" Ruby pointed an accusing finger at him.

Yang's smirk grew and Blake had a small one at the corner of her lips. It would not be there for long though as he prepared to finish the question.

"And what did you say about her?" She picked up her soda.

"That she was quiet and looked like this." He showed his scroll's screen to the blonde.

Yang's eyes widened and she spewed her soda in a fit of coughing laughter. This made Blake look between both of them. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion and demanded an answer.

"You've gotta' send me that!" She pulled out her scroll.

Blake inched her head around just enough to see what Yang cracked up at and her eyes widened briefly before resting in a glare that could set anything ablaze. The picture was of a cat that had a permanent frown and unamused look on its face with "No" written on it in big, bold white letters.

"Don't you dare!" Blake hissed at him.

He laughed and walked towards the counter to place his order with Blake following close behind.

 _"Blackburn one, Grumpy Cat zero."_

* * *

 **We'll end it there. Once again, I apologize for the long delay and your patience. I promise I'll make it up to you soon enough. Check out the stories below, give them a read and give the authors pointers if they can improve. I'll see you next time. -CaptainPrice**

 **OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 12/7/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 11/8/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **"Second Chance" by M4a1andbarrets: last updated: 11/5/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **maga016: I'm not sure why that would be weird. I guess that song fits to an extent. I'm not sure if the end of your message was a typo saying the story or if you were also commenting on loving the song, in which case thanks and I like it too.**

 **Maverick058: Well, to my knowledge that's what the standard technique is when we have a detainee in custody, which is what Winter did with Shadow in the last chapter, albeit poorly. From what I understand, enhanced interrogation was used as a way to up it to the next level if we had a tight lipped guy we were trying to crack who didn't say anything in the initial talks. Glad you've enjoyed the story up until now. Thanks for the review.**

 **GoldSpark1: Waterboarding was authorized by the Bush Administration shortly after 9/11, but they banned it in 2006. The Obama Administration did a similar band on it along with other enhanced interrogation techniques that were used on detainees. Blackburn and Winter's relationship will be a big focus in the story because of character development on both ends, but I'm also trying to make it similar to a relationship between a platoon leader and their platoon sergeant to an extent. Thanks for the review as always!**

 **OBSERVER01: Glad you are liking the interaction between Blackburn and Winter. You'll see more of it throughout the story. Now, I read your idea, but the thing is that the approach you suggested there doesn't really work. Enhanced interrogation is a unique practice that requires just enough buildup to make it really effective. If I had Winter do that off the bat, it would not be as effective since you can't truly instill anymore fear into the detainee if you jump right into it. It takes time to make a detainee break depending on who they are, and I'm writing Shadow to be one of the most tight lipped guys, and with good reason. I appreciate the idea, don't get me wrong, but I just want to give you an idea of where this will go. Thanks again for the review!**

 **AG1193: Thanks for the compliment, and I'm glad you are liking the story so far! I've seen a couple of stories similar to this one, but the two in particular that come to mind with what you said are "Solipsism" by wahs96 which this story was inspired from. Then the other is "From the Halls of Beacon to the Shores of Atlas" by alphasierra. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter.**


	19. Broken In

**Hey all. I'm here with the first update for this story for the new year. If you noticed, I did not give a chapter release date in the last update during Christmas because I was busy with a lot of stuff and did not want to miss a deadline, but we will get back on schedule here. Anyway, I'd like to thank you all so much for the support for the story with the reviews, hits, follows and favorites. It's honestly pretty impressive in my eyes for an OC story to get this kind of feedback, so please keep me informed of how it's going. Can't improve without feedback. Anyway, let's get to the chapter.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

The weekend had gone by quick for Blackburn. He had spent the day with Ruby's team on Saturday and the second they got back to Beacon, he and Ruby went to work on assembling his weapon.

The process itself was interesting and complex. During his time in Basic Training he had learned how to disassemble his rifle to the lowest it could go to memorize each piece and how to clean it properly. This in itself was on an entirely different level. All he could do was assist Ruby on building parts of the weapon that required two people at a time, otherwise she was the one doing all the work.

To compensate for having her pull a lot of the weight, he offered her a soda and let her choose the music that he had on his scroll.

She gladly accepted the gesture and sipped away at the sugary beverage as she worked. It took her time to find music that she felt she could listen to, and with good reason. The majority of his playlists were filled with endless metal and rock music which was not a very popular genre for kids her age, much to his chagrin. He had hoped to find some decent metal from Remnant's finest, but had been disappointed for the most part.

Ruby had settled on 3 Doors Down and had been humming along to each song when she heard one chorus after the next.

"Sorry that I don't have much to listen to for your liking," he said, taking a sip from his energy drink.

Ruby shook her head and smiled back. "Don't be. Everyone has their preferences, and I don't judge. Although you're kinda proving my point with being old."

"What do you mean?"

This had been a bit of a back and forth gag between the two of them. She would call him old and even got Yang to join in on it when they were in Vale earlier. The more he thought about it, it seemed to be happening with a lot of the teams he spent time with. It started with Coco, then Ruby, and now even Nora from JNPR did it whenever she passed him in the halls.

"This is the kind of stuff my dad listens to whenever he works around the house," she said, turning to look at him with a knowing smirk. "So, if you listen to the same thing, then I'd say you're old."

"Hey!" He gave her a knife hand. "I ain't old, okay? My dad introduced me to this music when I was seven and I've been listening to it ever since. It kicks the hell out of the stuff that's pushed out today."

Ruby poked his nose with a light glare.

"Language! I'm going to get a swear jar for you if you keep this up!"

"This coming from the one calling me old? If I'm a crusty old fart, I can say whatever I want."

"That doesn't make it right!"

He rolled his eyes and picked up the blade after Ruby nodded at it.

"Fine, if it bothers you that much, I'll tone it down." He sighed.

"Good." She chirped.

"At least until I'm alone, then the gloves come off."

He felt a light fist connect with the side of his arm in a charley horse and grinned lightly at the cute attempt to correct him. His light laugh only made Ruby mumble under her breath as she seated the blade and then locked it into the receiver.

He held the lower receiver in his hands and flicked the safety switch and pulled the trigger. A loud click sounded and he nodded to himself. It was functional and ready to be attached to the upper receiver.

When Ruby slid his weapon over to him, he felt his hands shaking with excitement. This was his weapon. His new weapon that would allow him to transcend the limits that his old M4 could not and would ultimately be more useful so long as he was there. He connected the lower receiver to the gun and pushed the pins in to connect them. Once it was secured, his hands slid into the familiar grip.

His left hand trailed down the barrel and he gently pinched the charging handle and drew it back and released. It snapped forward with a loud click and he brought the buttstock up and gently rested his cheek against it.

The sights aligned perfectly and the front sight post rose and fell lightly with each breath he took. He took aim across the room and rested the sights on the faucet of his sink. His finger curled around the trigger and gently pulled.

Another loud click sounded from the dry fire and the corner of his mouth curved up in a small smile. His weapon was ready and he wanted nothing more than to go get it zeroed and do target practice.

"So… what do you think?" Ruby asked as she lightly bounced in her seat.

He gently set his weapon down on the desk and turned to Ruby, offering her a smile.

"I love it, Ruby. Thanks for the help," he rested his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

She swatted at his hands playfully and gave him a pout when he pulled it off. Her hair was askew and it took a few passes with her hands to straighten it out as best as she could.

She then leaned to the side and her hand returned a second later with two box magazines, much like the ones for Crescent Rose and she set them on the desk.

"Here. These are some of my old magazines that should fit for your weapon," she said. "You got ammo, right?"

Blackburn nodded at her and jerked his thumb towards the shelf behind him. She found a couple of large boxes lined up to add up to a thousand. More than enough to do some practice and then some for any potential missions if he went out on one.

He grabbed three of the boxes and set them on his desk.

"What time does the range here close?" He looked at her.

"It's open until nine tonight," she answered with a knowing grin. "Did you want to go shoot for a bit?"

The excitement in her tone was evident and he nodded back at her.

"Definitely. Besides, I owe you a couple of rounds with my pistol, right?"

Her face lit up and her eyes immediately darted for his M9 that was attached to his leg.

"Heck yeah!" She jumped from the seat. "Come on! If we hurry we can get to the range before all the good lanes are taken!"

She hurried over to the door and flung it open, bubbling with excitement at the chance to have fun with a new weapon.

Blackburn opened up his bag and placed his ammo and magazines inside and zipped it shut. He followed Ruby out of the room and the door locked shut behind him when he closed it.

As they walked, Blackburn silently cursed himself as he cradled his new weapon in his arms. He had gotten so used to having his M4 on a sling that he forgot it was a pain in the ass to not have one. He made a mental note to next time purchase one when he had the money to spend.

"So, does your weapon have a name?" Ruby turned to him.

He shook his head and almost laughed at the question.

His mind drifted off to some of the famous old war movies he watched on TV, the biggest one being Full Metal Jacket. Each Marine was assigned a rifle and had to give it a girl's name since it was "The only pussy you maggots are going to get."

That line cracked him up every time and he half expected to hear it from his Drill Sergeant during Basic Training, but it never came. That kind of humor was not permitted or allowed like it used to be. The few times he heard it come out was when it was in safe company of those that wouldn't get offended or those who did not give a shit. It was a hush-hush subject. Lest one wanted to pay a god awful visit to the unit SHARP representative.

"No. Is that really a thing here?" He looked at Ruby.

"Yeah! Your weapon is a part of you and has its own purpose and identity!" She nodded back, reaching behind her.

With a quick pull of her arms, her scythe came into view and fully extended to stretch above her.

"Take my baby here." She patted it. "When I finished making it, I gave her the name Crescent Rose. I take care of her and she takes care of me. You see what I mean?"

Maybe people here took things like this a little too seriously?

"You aren't going to let me off the hook on this one, are you?" He sighed.

"Nope!" She shook her head. "So, I expect you to have a name for her by the end of the day."

He rolled his eyes and gave her a mocking salute back.

"Yes ma'am! It'll be done, ma'am!"

"Good!"

* * *

The range was on the northeast end of the campus. It was large and stretched across a large open field towards a tree line. There was a tower overlooking the twenty lanes to enforce safety for the students who decided to practice with their marksmanship. Three small overhangs were set up behind the lanes to let students sit for a break or clean their weapons while they waited for the next run.

Gunshots reverberated around the large field as rifles, pistols and even grenade rounds soared down range and impacted the targets that sprung up from the berms like prairie dogs.

By the time Blackburn and Ruby were ready to shoot, there were two open lanes off to the left of the tower. He took the one on the left and Ruby took the right. He pulled out his pistol and handed it to Ruby and she quickly took it from him to aim down range.

As he loaded his magazines, Blackburn opted to watch Ruby and see how good of a shot she was with a smaller weapon as opposed to her giant scythe. She had a good grip on the pistol. Not overly tight or too loose, but steady. The gun did not shake at all and remained still save for the small bob as she took slow breaths to ready her shot.

A loud buzz sounded for the start of the new session and the first target popped up. Ruby was quick to snap to it and her finger gently squeezed the trigger. A flash of orange emitted from the tip and the target dropped, prompting the second one to shoot up. She turned her attention to it and repeated the motion, dropping the second one.

One shot after the next, Ruby knocked down each target that popped up. The last round left the pistol and he saw it kick up dirt at the base of her final target. Expert shot.

He glanced to her and saw her lip stuck out in a disgruntled pout at missing her final shot.

"Aw, I almost had it!"

She dropped the magazine from the gun and gently rested it to the side before pulling out Crescent Rose.

"You kidding me?" Blackburn asked. "You were dropping targets from an elevated position and still shot expert. That's great!"

"I guess, but still…" She shrugged. "But I can change it with my baby here."

"Really? Well, you want to have a little contest?" He asked.

Ruby's eyes twinkled and a smirk played on her lips. She inserted a fresh magazine into Crescent Rose and loaded a round into the chamber.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked.

"I bet I can take down all the targets and beat you. I mean, if you missed that shot, I think I got a good chance," he said as he pulled the charging handle and locked his round.

Ruby's brow creased and she pointed a lone finger at him.

"You're on! You better be ready to lose, old man!" She got into a prone position.

He too laid on the platform and aimed down his sight. It had been a while since he fired a rifle and he was silently hoping that he did not struggle to get his aim back. His thumb brushed the safety switch and he began to take deep breaths to steady his shots. It was all muscle memory to him and when the first target popped up, he acted.

A slight shift in his hips to have his sights land on the fifty meter target. A small pull with his finger and he felt his gun give off a loud, high powered shot. A small ping met his ears as the casing spun in the air and landed on the ground beside him with a chime. The target dropped and he shifted his hips again to take aim at the next target.

Prior to his challenge to Ruby, he made a mental note of each target's spot when it popped up. To his relief, it was the exact same layout he was used to whenever his unit went to the qualification range to practice. Forty targets ranging from fifty to three hundred meters.

With each shot, each target fell. The last target flew up and he and Ruby both took aim on their respective lanes. Two shots rang out and each target fell.

He had not paid attention to Ruby's targets, but he sure as hell knew he had a promising chance. He had forty shots and forty targets were knocked down. The grin on his face threatened to split it in two and he turned to Ruby, only to be met with a triumphant look of her own.

"Forty for me, old man. What did you get?" She stood up.

"Forty for me, pipsqueak." He smirked back.

"Hmmm…" She tapped her chin. "I think you know what this means?"

"That an old man like me can still kick your butt?"

She lightly punched his arm again, doing the best she could to look mad, but the small smile on her face made that impossible.

"I was going to say we need to settle this two out of three!" She crossed her arms.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"We're going to be out here all day," he said.

Ruby's eyes hardened into a determined look.

"I've got time." She knelt to load her empty magazines.

Their challenge kept on one round after the next. Each round was met with a tie, but both were showing signs of exhaustion. Earlier they were hitting all forty targets, but now it had dwindled down to thirty-five.

"Okay, I need a break. My eyes are starting to hurt." He rubbed them to sooth the aching sensation.

"Me too." She straightened up, getting her back to crack.

They picked up their weapons and marched off the firing line and made their way to the small shelter where some students were congregating to talk during their break. There was an open table in the sunlight and they took it, setting their weapons down on top.

"So, how do you like your weapon?" Ruby leaned on the table.

"Love it." He patted the side lightly. "You know how you get that gut feeling when you something feels right?"

She nodded back at him.

"Well, I got that feeling with it, and I have you to thank for that."

Ruby's cheeks flushed and she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. Her silver eyes stared at the weapon and then turned up to him.

"Have you come up with a name for it yet?" She tapped her finger on the table.

The name. His weapon needed a name or Ruby would harp on him about it.

If he was being honest with himself, he could not think of a good name. A weapon like this should have a good name for what it was capable of doing. It could change into a blade for close quarter battle, capable of firing long range, and could function like his old M4. A solid weapon that would only reveal its drawbacks when the time came.

He closed his eyes and let his mind wander, all the while thinking of every little thing that could point him in the direction of a great name. It did not need to be extravagant or epic, but it needed to be personal to him and resemble him in a way.

Then it came to him.

"Well?" Ruby drawled out.

He opened his eyes and rested his hand on his weapon.

"Mustang. Her name is Mustang."

Ruby perked up a bit about the name, curiosity filling her face.

"That's a nice name. Why did you choose that?" She replied.

"Well, you said our weapons were a part of us and I was struggling to think of a good name. I chose to name it after something that was close to me in a way. Back when I was a soldier I was a cavalry scout and back in the old days the military used horses for the cavalrymen. One of the horses they used was a breed known as a Mustang, so I decided to pay homage to it. Plus, it's also the name of a sports car where I come from."

She smiled and nodded understandingly, agreeing with his decision.

He rubbed his eyes again and gently scratched the side of his face. His fingertips grazed the thick stubble that was becoming a beard with each passing day. He never had the luxury of growing out his facial hair that much since he was supposed to be clean shaven, and he did not look that great with a mustache.

First Sergeant Skinner's voice still boomed in his head for every person that did not meet the grooming standards he had in place.

 _"Scrape that shit off your lip, guy! You look like a fuckin' bum."_

A small laugh escaped him. He never thought he'd miss his First Sergeant. The guy was an asshole. Not just because it was his job to be the lightning rod of hate to absorb all the negativity, but he was just a genuinely, angry man. It was refreshing to remember the man's short temper and the humor it brought when his wrath was not focused on him.

He needed a shave and made a mental note to do it when he got back to his office.

Another presence came from his side and he turned his head to see Coco.

The brunette was chewing a piece of gum and looking at him and Ruby through her dark sunglasses. A teasing smile spread across her lips.

"Professor, I thought we had something special? We're workout buddies, but we can't be range buddies?" She rested a hand on her hip and cocked it out.

He rose a brow.

"Really?" He asked flatly.

She popped a bubble and sat down in the empty seat between him and Ruby.

"You know, one would think most guys would be excited for a beautiful girl wanting to spend time with them," she said.

He rolled his eyes at her retort and cracked his knuckles a second later after feeling them tighten up.

"That may be true for most men, but I got standards when it comes to women," he said. "No matter how hot she looks on the outside, I actually need to know her personality and what makes her tick."

The smirk on Coco's face grew and she leaned forward on the table, eying him closely.

From the corner of his eye he could see Ruby looking between the two of them, shifting around awkwardly. She looked unsure of how to get involved in the new conversation after Coco's arrival. Her fingertips tapped each other rapidly as opened her mouth to speak.

"So… is this rumor about you two true, then?" Ruby looked at Coco.

The question only made the smirk on Coco's face grow while Blackburn rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"No, it's not. I'm a teacher, and she's a student. That's a no go," he said to Ruby.

"You say that now, but give it time. You'll warm up to me eventually." Coco winked at him.

"Look, whatever goes on in your fantasy is your business, but my stance remains clear. I will not get involved with any student. I mean, shit, I don't even know if I want to be in a relationship."

He gave a sharp intake of breath when he felt the tip of Ruby's boot connect with his shin. His eyes trailed up and he saw her glaring at him and pointing a finger.

"That's it. Give me your wallet. I'm starting your penalty fee now." She held her hand out.

The corner of his mouth twitched in annoyance as his shin gave another painful throb and he begrudgingly handed her the brown wallet. He stayed silent when she fished out two lien and folded it before giving the wallet back.

After tucking his wallet back into his pocket, Ruby turned her attention to Coco.

"So, what are you doing out here?" She asked.

Coco merely patted her purse that sat on the table.

"Target practice. I need to kill Grimm and look good at the same time, you know," said Coco.

Ruby perked up and a small smirk played on her lips. Her silver eyes glanced at Blackburn and then went back to Coco.

"Well, maybe you can take on Connor." She jerked a thumb at him. "He and I went a few rounds."

"Oh? Is soldier boy a bad shot?" Coco quirked a brow.

Ruby shook her head and sheepishly scratched her cheek.

"No, actually, he's very good. We tied each round," she said with a giggle.

"No kidding?" Coco turned her gaze to him. "Well, I'll just have to beat you then."

Blackburn rubbed his eyes and leveled Coco with an unamused look.

"You won't beat me. Besides, I'm getting tired." He stretched out.

The brunette clicked her tongue and folded her arms.

"Care to make a bet on that one or are you too scared, you old geezer?" She smirked back.

His eyes snapped open and he glared at his student who remained unfazed by the gesture.

"You know what? I'd love to take you down a peg," said Blackburn.

"Good. I like a man who doesn't back down." She got to her feet.

Blackburn picked up Mustang and trekked to the firing line with Coco by his side and Ruby behind him. The two of them took their positions on the two open lanes and loaded their ammunition to prepare for their little contest.

To make the bet fair, Coco was only allowed to fire three rounds at a target since her gun was designed to cover more ground than his. Whoever hit the most targets out of three rounds was the winner.

Blackburn loaded his magazine and charged the first round. He took his firing position and knelt on the platform and steadied his breath.

Coco stood with a wider stance and had her Gatling gun pointed down range. Her playful look was gone and replaced with one of concentration. Her brow was furrowed and her head slowly turned in the direction of each target in the order they would pop up.

"Are you guys ready?" Ruby asked.

"Let's rock," replied Blackburn.

"Born ready." Coco nodded.

A loud buzz sounded overhead and the first targets on their lanes popped up. A lone shot fired from Blackburn's lane came and made contact with the silhouette that popped up and knocked it to the ground. From the brunette's lane, a loud short burst. The target in her lane dropped after the first shot kicked up dirt on the ground and the last two hit it.

The next target popped up and was met with the same result. Same with the next and then the one afterword.

The two competitors were mirroring each other through their competition. Both fired their weapons and a target would drop.

Blackburn and Coco had tied the first two rounds by hitting all forty targets. Their final round was proving to be just as heated. The last group of targets were getting ready to come up.

With ten targets to go, it would get tougher with two popping up at once. For Blackburn, he saw this as his chance to take the win. Coco had impressed him with her marksmanship for a heavy weapon as well as her control for holding out as well as she did. But those weapons could only be handled for so long before it got difficult to maintain control. He had a good feeling this time around.

His finger pulled on the trigger and he felt Mustang give a light kick against his shoulder and his grin grew with each shot and each target that fell behind the mound after it was hit.

He snuck a quick look to Coco's lane and saw the two targets go down as well and returned his attention back to his lane. The round was getting too close for his liking.

Two more targets popped up and he took aim for the one hundred meter and fired. His next shot hit the one hundred and fifty meter target. One more to go and it was an easy shot. Fifty meters, just off the base of the platform. Too easy.

Their final targets popped up and both fired. One semi round from Blackburn and another burst from Coco. Two loud pings met his ears, but his eye snapped open in disbelief.

While Coco's target fell, his remained upright. He blinked as he stared at the silhouette that remained standing and blinked again. He had hit that target all day and now it decided to rob him of his shot?

"I win," Coco said with a hum.

"I call bull on that." Blackburn got to his feet.

"Well, your target is still standing. So, you only got thirty-nine. I got all forty."

He shook his head again.

"I hit that target! I got robbed!" He shook his head.

"You may have hit it, but it didn't go down. I win." Coco smirked.

He refused to give in that easy.

His eyes turned to Ruby who just gave a light shrug.

"I'm not sure what to say. You hit it, but it didn't go down," she said.

"We're getting confirmation from the range tower." He picked up Mustang and sped to it.

Coco and Ruby shared a look of amusement and followed after the assistant professor.

When they arrived at the entrance of the tower, they saw Blackburn's look of irritation. His conversation with the safety officer was not going in the way he had hoped.

"Just take the loss like a man and follow up with the bet!" Coco called to him.

Her triumphant grin grew when she saw the man look up to the sky with closed eyes, trying to get a grip of his frustration.

He spun on his heel and marched back to them looking calmer than before, but nonetheless frustrated.

"What exactly was the bet?" He asked Coco.

The brunette's grin turned into a cheeky smirk and she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Oh, the things I can do…" She pondered aloud. "No homework for a week? No, that's too simple. Maybe I should have you be my personal slave?"

With each thing she listed off, Blackburn could feel his face burn with embarrassment. She was toying with him and by the cruel smile on her face, she was enjoying every second of it. All he knew was that she would make the most of the bet and he would not like what she had in store for him.

"Oh, how about he goes clothes shopping with you!" Ruby piped in.

His eyes snapped to the smaller girl and he gave her a stern glare.

"Don't give her any ideas!" He hissed.

Ruby's face flushed and she uttered an apology.

"That's not a bad idea, Ruby," Coco agreed. "But I got a better one."

Her sunglasses bore into him as she eyed him with the same smile from earlier.

"You have to come with me into town sometime to get a better wardrobe," she said.

"What's wrong with what I've got?" He challenged.

The fashionista rose a brow and gave him a flat look.

"You look like a twelve year old kid with your fashion sense. So, I'm going to take you to get something more eye catching. Then you'll have ladies lining up to get a date with you."

He took a deep breath through his nose. Nothing was worse than clothes shopping.

He only bought things that made him comfortable or that he could see himself wearing. Any time one of his friends suggested something, he would turn it down in a heartbeat. It did not help that a lot of clothes were always expensive. He could still remember how expensive his clothes were when he went with Glynda to pick some up prior to starting his job as her assistant.

"I already told you that I was not going to go on a date with a student and that I didn't want a relationship," he answered back.

Coco merely grinned back.

"I never said it was a date," she corrected him. "But I guess I'd be willing to call it one since it sounds like one."

"It's not a…" He protested.

"Sheesh, calm down. I was just kidding. Pull out your scroll so we can schedule our "not date" to fix your fashion disaster."

He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. This girl was relentless and would not let him off the hook. It almost reminded him of…

He shook his head to clear the thought and obliged the brunette who perked up at him following through. His finger unlocked his scroll and he began swiping through the contents to locate the note reminder.

After almost a minute of searching, Coco rolled her eyes and stepped over to help him. She took his scroll and swiped the screen and brought up an app that had a loose piece of paper as the picture. Her fingers quickly typed in the reminder and she made sure to put "Not Date" in bold capital letters before saving it.

When he went to take his scroll back, she quickly pulled away and went through his scroll again and into his photos.

"Hey, give it back." He held his hand out.

"I will. I just want to get a victory picture," she replied.

Her thumb tapped the snap button and she held the scroll out to get both herself and him in the shot. She gave a victory sign as the picture snapped and typed away a little comment to remind him of the humiliating loss.

"Okay, you had your fun. Give it back," he said a little more firmly.

"I will. Let's just check the album." She waved him aside.

A row of pictures appeared at the bottom of the screen and she found the one she took on the far left. Satisfied with how it looked, she was about to hand it back to him, but her eye caught something else. There was one picture on the far right and she wasted no time tapping it.

"Hey!" He snatched the scroll from her.

She smirked again when she got a good look at the photo and turned her eyes back on him. He stared back with a half-hearted glare and then looked back down at the picture to close it.

The picture was of himself with his arms around a girl. He was smiling broadly and the girl was doing the same. The girl had long, brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was a head shorter than him. Beside them was a large dog.

"Who's the girl, Professor?" Coco nudged him.

He did not respond to her as he continued to stare at the picture. She looked back at him and could see a distant look in his eyes. Her smirk fell into a frown and she nudged him gently.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." He closed out of the album and tucked his scroll away.

Coco folded her arms and leveled him with a knowing look.

"Who was that?" Ruby asked.

Blackburn gave a half smile and tucked Mustang under his arm.

"Alison Garza," he replied.

"Is she a friend of yours?" Coco followed up.

"My ex."

Silence fell between the three of them. The fun, comedic tension that they were having at his expense was now gone and replaced with an awkward air.

He rubbed his chin and turned on his heel before making his way back to the shelter. He could hear Ruby and Coco's heel clicking as they followed him. When he plopped down at the table and sat Mustang on it, he pulled out his scroll and set it down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories," said Coco.

He cast a glance at her and could see the regretful frown on her lips. Ruby looked no better as she shuffled her feet silently.

"Look, it's fine. You didn't know." He held up a hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Coco asked.

He shook his head again and looked up at her.

"No, I don't." he said. "I'll have to talk about it at some point, but now is not the time."

Coco nodded and was about to speak, but was cut off from a buzzing noise.

Blackburn's scroll had lit up and vibrated on the table. He picked it up and brought it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Blackburn, do you have time to talk now?" Winter's voice came through.

"Yeah, I just finished up at the range. When do you want to meet?"

"I'll be at your office in the hour. Does that work?"

"That's perfectly fine. See you then."

A small click came from her end as she hung up and he closed his scroll a second later. He tucked it back in his pocket and stood up, grabbing Mustang.

"All right, I'm out of here." He gave a long stretch.

He made sure he had everything and started to make his way back to his office for his meeting with Winter.

"Wait!" Ruby called out.

He turned and glanced down at the shorter girl who stood before him in a flurry of rose petals. She had used her Semblance to catch him and held her hand up. His pistol was still with her.

"Oh, thanks. Almost forgot it," he said taking it back from her.

"No problem! Thanks for letting me shoot it. It was a lot of fun." She smiled at him.

He tucked his pistol into its holster and smiled down at Ruby. He ruffled her hair and got her to swat her hands at his playfully, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Once his hand was off, she looked as though she belonged in an old Big Hair Metal video.

Coco laughed at the girl's messy hair and made her flush grow.

"I'll see you guys later, okay?" He gave a wave.

The two waved goodbye, all the while trying to fix Ruby's crazy hair after his little prank.

* * *

His mind began to wander as he continued his march back to his office.

What was it that Winter wanted to talk about?

He did offer her to talk to him if she had questions or if she just wanted to hang out. The tone she used during their call didn't sound urgent or anything to suggest it was anything outside of a casual talk, but then again, she was an ice cube. Never one to show emotion unless provoked.

Whatever she wanted to talk about, he would indulge her and help her out as best he could.

* * *

 **There we go. We get a little more information on Blackburn's past and we see his new weapon "Mustang" come into the picture. If anyone is curious to what the design of it looks like, it's essentially an MK17 or SCAR 17 that can switch into a blade to be wielded with one or two hands for close quarter battle. Now, what'll happen next chapter with Winter? You'll have to stick around to find out. If you like this RWBY story, check out my other ones "Someday" and "The Grimm Warrior". Check out the statements, review responses and story shout outs below, and I'll see you all next time. -CaptainPrice**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **SHARP: Sexual Harassment/Assault and Response Prevention**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Schedule is back on starting as of this update. Next update is projected for 2/11/17**

 **Story Shout Outs:**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 1/25/16**

 **"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 1/7/16**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **GoldSpark1: Thanks for the review as always. Now to answer your question, Blackburn does know of the White Fang having read about them way early in the story, but the thing is that I didn't want him to jump to that conclusion immediately. Because in all honesty, there could be other terrorist groups out there that he is unfamiliar with or may even be splinter cell groups from the White Fang. So him jumping the gun and immediately pinning her is a bold statement. When it comes to analysis, you have to have concrete evidence to support it before its presented to the commander or else it's just useless. I also made note that Blackburn did notice the bow twitches when they talked at points, but didn't pay it too much mind. But he has noticed.**

 **somas35: Thanks for the review and for the good wishes. In all honesty, I was fair on this one in my mind. Soldiers are trained to the point of being hit with it continuously that they should always be aware of their surroundings. Since Blackburn's MOS involved a lot of reconnaissance and analysis, he is trained to observe a lot of things. Plus, he also teaches these kids, too. So he has seen them in class periods to be able to paint a decent picture of their personalities. Blake is a pretty easy one because I'm a lot like her and the way she is shown in the show during those moments have her doing those things that Blackburn listed when they were talking.**

 **mcd3424: Thanks for the review. Huh... that's weird an unfortunate.**


	20. Questioning

**Forgive me my faithful readers, for I have been a shitbag. I know I promised this chapter last weekend, but drill came back and bit me. I got tasked out to do last second things that required my immediate attention, so that took priority. On top of that, I also rewrote part of the chapter twice because of how I carried out the interrogation. I'll be upfront now, I'm changing the story to M for this chapter for that soul reason just for safety purposes on my end. Thanks gain for the continued support and patience, as my thanks, enjoy this extra long chapter of 10,000 plus words not counting this author's note. Let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter waited patiently outside Blackburn's office for his return from the range. He was to be back shortly after she called him and that made things easier for her.

She had refrained from interrogating Shadow further to avoid further spite and took the time to observe him. The man had continued to remain silent, even when the guards came to deliver his meals. His guard was still up as if he was expecting them to flip a switch and start pressing him for information again, much to her chagrin. However, she had no one to blame but herself for that.

Her stomach tightened and her hands clenched into fists. She hated to fail and it had taken her time to admit to herself that she had overstepped her bounds in trying to handle a situation she was unfamiliar with. Because of that, she had made it more difficult to obtain critical information for their intelligence teams and future operations. All of this had fallen on her and her pride.

She felt her shoulders tremble the more she thought of the failure. With a quick shake of her head and a deep breath, the shaking ceased.

"Hey LT, you weren't waiting long were you?" Blackburn's voice broke her from her thoughts.

She met his gaze and shook her head.

"No, I just got here a couple of minutes ago," she answered.

As he unlocked the door to his office, she took note of the new weapon that was slung over his shoulder. Upon closer inspection it was a battle rifle of sorts and it had grabbed her attention.

"When did you get that?" She pointed at his rifle.

Blackburn set the rifle back on his desk and patted it lightly.

"Literally finished building it a few hours ago with the help of a student," he said. "Glynda said I needed a more suitable weapon as a Huntsman, and since you were kind enough to cut my M4 to bejesus and back, they gave me some extra money to get the materials I needed."

She opened her mouth to protest, but hesitated when she saw the playful look in his eyes and in turn offered a roll of her own. It had taken some getting used to, but she was now more familiar with the way he teased her. It was not spiteful towards her in anyway and was instead more open for her to offer a witty retort if she wished.

Earlier she would have labeled his comments similar to Qrow's with how the two of them acted, but now she could see a difference. Qrow's idea of humor towards her was insulting her family, Atlas, the military or anything else that worked as a quick trigger to her temper. More malicious than the former's.

"You should be grateful. That old rifle of yours was subpar and breaking it you got something better in return." She smirked.

Blackburn disappeared into his fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, holding one up for her. She nodded and he lightly tossed it to her.

The cold bottle graced her palm as she caught it and gently rested it on his desk. She twisted the top off and watched the condensed air escape from it before vanishing into nothingness.

"Did you have a day off today?" He gestured to her.

Looking down she perked up just a bit. He had been used to her wearing her uniform all the time and this would be the second time he had seen her without it.

"For now. I start my shift in a little while," she said taking a sip of her beer.

"Well, I'm guessing you're here on business then. Is this in regards to Shadow and his interrogation?"

She nodded and took a long sip from the beer in her hand. The bite was still there, but it was not as harsh as it was when she tried it the first time. Definitely a lot more different than wine and if she were to be honest with herself, it was more relaxing and refreshing. Wine had always carried a status with it and beer was a great foil. It was cheap, but oddly satisfying and it brought a strange calming feeling with it.

"We've stepped back from talking to him altogether for a few days now. I hoped that by doing so it would make him lower his guard just enough to try again," she said.

Blackburn gave a grunt as he brought his bottle down from his lips.

"Well, here's a little learning point for you in this department. Any guys you capture and try to interrogate know that you're trying to pull info from them, so they're going to be very tight lipped. They will not drop their guard now since they know you're waiting for them to do that," he replied.

A teasing smile played on her lips and she leaned back in her chair.

"I thought you said you had no idea how to interrogate?" She poked.

"I don't, but that was more common sense. I mean, put yourself in that guy's shoes for a second and think about it. If you were captured and the enemy was trying to pull something from you, would you let your guard down at all?"

She rolled her eyes again.

"I was being facetious, but I guess I have to break my words down enough for you to understand them after all."

He let out a light laugh and shook his head.

"Anyway, real talk for a second. Did you want to try grilling him again today?" Blackburn said.

"That was my intention, but if you're not up for it we could push it back," she said.

She felt her lips curve up in a small smile when she saw the man shake his head and down the rest of his beer before setting the bottle on his desk.

"No, it's best to start as soon as possible. If that guy has information critical to finding out more about this Queen and Lotus, then we need to put him through the ringer. Just let me clean up quick and we can go," said Blackburn.

Wood scuffed as his chair slid back and he trudged to his room. Zwei trotted out a second later and made his way to sit beside her.

She took another drink from her beer and looked down at the small corgi. Unlike last time, the small dog was not bursting with energy and eager to play. His eyes were drooping a bit as if he had been roused from a nap and he did not look up at her with curiosity. He spared her a quick look and circled beside the chair a couple of times before lying down.

When his eyes closed, she eased her hand out, paused, and then let it rest gently on top of his head. She lightly scratched behind his ears and felt her chest bubble a bit when a long, low growl escaped the pooch.

"Good boy," she whispered.

She looked back at her beer and saw just a little remaining in the bottle. She waited for a couple of seconds to make sure she was alone. When the water continued running in the room next door, she brought the bottle to her lips and tilted her head back.

The rest of the beer raced down her throat and she almost gagged. She managed to suppress the cough that threatened to escape her and set the bottle down on Blackburn's desk. She had a reputation to keep and the last thing she needed was Blackburn or god forbid Qrow to catch her sinking low enough to chug the last of a drink.

Her eyes then fell upon Blackburn's new weapon once again. She gave him credit for sticking with familiarity by choosing a rifle, but surely there was more to it than that. Most, if not all Huntsmen had a close quarter function with their weapon and she was sure his did as well.

She picked up the rifle and her eyes took in every detail from the buttstock up to the tip of the barrel. Just like the man said to her earlier, the weapon was indeed new. There were no signs of scratches of scuffs to show he had been lackadaisical with it.

What caught her eye was the additional switch near the magazine well. Testing her theory, her finger brushed the switch and gave it a flick. The rifle's barrel split apart and a blade shot up from its depths. The stock then aligned to the center in the form of a hilt.

 _"Interesting choice."_ She mused, running her hand along the cool metal.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Blackburn's voice snapped her from her thoughts.

She wheeled round and gripped the blade in her open hand. There was a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I've seen modifications like this before, so it's not too impressive," she easily dismissed it. "I'm just curious about your choice. I didn't presume you to be a swordsman."

Blackburn sucked his teeth at her little jab and trudged back over to his desk. Her eyes followed him and she watched him rummage through the top drawer and pull out a combat knife.

"Where I come from, if we had to get into a hand to hand situation that meant shit had gone all kinds of wrong. I had this puppy here, but as you can see it's not much for the caliber of Huntsmen," he replied before putting it away.

"The question still remains, why a sword?" She continued.

Her hand gave the blade a swing. It was a little heavy for her taste, but she could tell that it was capable of acting as a short sword or a two handed blade if it came down to it.

Blackburn gave a light shrug.

"I've always thought swords were cool. Besides, it also seemed like the easiest to learn."

She looked back up at him with an arched brow. The look on his face did not suggest he was joking with what he said. She shook her head and sent him a sharp look.

"And what made you think that?" She asked.

"What's so hard about swish, swish, stab?" He answered.

Her eye twitched a little. This time his tone sounded more playful. Although she wanted to dismiss it, she wanted to drive her point home.

She held his weapon out to him and he took it from her.

"Show me your stance and how you would hold that." She nodded at him.

"Why?" He gripped the hilt.

"Just do it."

Blackburn sighed and held the blade down and away with his right hand. His legs were slightly bent at the knees and he had his right foot forward.

That was all she needed to see.

"You need work." She crossed her arms.

"No shit." He quipped back.

"Don't get smart with me. Your weapon's only as effective as you are when wielding it."

Blackburn relaxed his stance and flipped the switch again and the sword retracted back into the rifle. He rested it on his desk and gave a stretch.

"Bring your weapon to our next training session. We'll go over some basic stance and footwork for it," she said.

He rose a brow as if asking for more of an explanation.

"If you recall, I use a blade myself. If anyone can give you some training, it's me. With any luck, you may go from nothing to mediocre," she said with a mocking tone.

Blackburn let out a scoff and returned her look with one of his own.

"You can be a nasty woman, you know that?" He shook his head.

"Only to people like you," she remarked.

The man let out another laugh and she smiled just a bit.

Her attention was soon pulled to her pocket when a small chime emitted. She pulled her scroll out and her eyes widened briefly. Her shift was to start in the next half hour and she had to get changed yet.

"Time to go?" Blackburn asked.

"Yes. Grab what you will need and follow me," she said as she walked to the door.

She opened the door to the office and stepped outside. She silently watched Blackburn grab his scroll, his weapon, and a bag before exiting the room.

"Why do you need that?" She nodded at his rifle.

He turned back to her with a knowing look.

"Because if this goes the way I think and hope it does, we'll have a lot of down time. So we might as well squeeze some training in there," he answered her.

"I suppose that would be a productive use of our time." She agreed.

* * *

Upon boarding Ironwood's ship, Sergeant Green was there to greet Blackburn and Winter. The latter excused herself to go and change into her uniform while the former was led to the detention block where Shadow was being held.

During the walk, Sergeant Green had informed Blackburn of Shadow's habits during the questioning they put him through so far. The man was stubborn and tight lipped like he believed he would be, but he also had the tendency to try and turn the tables on the interrogator by triggering them. Thankfully, interrogators were professionals and Sergeant Green pointed out that it was because of Winter's initial bite at the bait is what caused him to start doing it.

Although the information was valuable, Blackburn had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He was about to play the interrogator with no experience, and his only weapon was patience and what little he remembered from some death by power point classes he had when at drill. The likelihood of him even getting Shadow to release some information was next to none, but it was worth a shot.

They came to a stop outside of a room and the doors opened with a hiss. The two men strode inside and before them was a large window leading into another room that had a table and two chairs inside with one of them being occupied by Shadow.

Blackburn set his bag down and peered through the glass. He would not begin the interrogation until Winter returned with General Ironwood. And while he waited, it gave him time to prepare.

It was already a no brainer that Shadow would be quiet during their talk, and if he even tried to get the kid to speak, it would more than likely result in a rebuttal towards him being affiliated with Atlas after he chased him down the other day. He would need to exercise restraint and keep his temper under control if he wanted to control the conversation and have any shred of a chance to acquire the information they wanted.

His brow furrowed in concentration and he closed his eyes. He could vaguely remember some stories his dad told him about going through RTI when he did his SERE training. It was a mental game and so long as the right cards were played at the given time, prying information was easy. The technique that was used was basic, but it was very effective.

"So, do you think you can get anything out of him?" Sergeant Green asked.

He shook his head.

"I have no friggin' clue. If anything, I would suggest you pull one of your SMEs in here to watch what I'm about to try so they can do it themselves in case this fails."

Sergeant Green nodded and pulled out his scroll and stepped to the side.

While he was talking on the line, the door to the room opened again and General Ironwood stepped inside with Winter beside him.

"Blackburn," Ironwood greeted him with a nod. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be, sir." He shrugged back.

"Very well. Enter the room when you're ready. We'll listen from this side."

Blackburn nodded back and walked over to the door. He stopped just short of it and did a quick look of himself. Hardly professional at all, but he hoped he could use that to his advantage.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart before resting his hand on the handle. He pulled the door open and walked inside with the door closing behind him. His entrance garnered the attention of Shadow who looked up and met his gaze from under his hoodie. The kid's eyes widened briefly before hardening into a piercing stare.

Blackburn remained silent and walked over to the empty seat at the table and sat down. He leaned back in the chair and folded his hands in his lap. His lips remained in a thin line and his brown eyes bore into the boy before him.

The two of them remained silent and had to deal with the light hum from the lights in the room.

He had come up with his ice breaker and he rolled his shoulders. Time to see where he got with this soup sandwich.

"You know, you're a heck of a driver… Shadow, right?" He broke the silence. "Or do you prefer Colby Dunn?"

Shadow kept quiet and from what he could see, there was no visible stress or tension in his body to suggest that his ice breaker had much of an effect.

"I've done my fair share of racing, and you have to be one of the best guys I've seen. Where did you learn how to do that?"

The boy said nothing and shifted a bit in his seat.

"Street racing, though? You really gave me a test on that one. Usually my buddies and I just race up and down some road in the middle of bumfuck nowhere where there's no cops."

Shadow finally looked up at him and gave a lazy smirk.

"Okay, enough with the dog and pony crap. I already know why you're here," he answered him.

Blackburn closed his mouth and raised a brow.

"Really? You don't know me. Not personally, anyway," he replied.

Shadow shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

"Man, those Atlas Specialists really have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel if they're bringing an outsider like you to talk to me. So do me a favor and save yourself the trouble. You're not getting anything from me, and you never will."

The boy was definitely smug, just like Sergeant Green claimed. He already called him out on why he was here, but then again, that was already a given. It would take more than that to get him to talk, but now that he had gotten him to open up a bit, he had some breathing room.

"Yeah, you're right, I probably won't. So, why don't we do something else?" He proposed.

"What do you wanna' do, then? Talk about what I do on an off day? What my family is like?" Shadow listed off. "Please, at least try. Those so called interrogators already tried this crap on me and came back with jack."

"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted something to eat or drink. I haven't had lunch yet and I'm starving."

Shadow blinked and stared back at him. He was being serious with his words, and it was backed up with a low growl that came from his stomach.

"I'm thinking some spaghetti and meatballs. What about you?" He asked.

"I'm not hungry," Shadow quickly replied.

"Bull, kid. From the looks of it, you haven't eaten much in days. What do you think they're trying to do, slip you something to make you talk?"

Shadow's eyes narrowed just a bit and he folded his arms as he leaned back in his chair. It seemed as though he hit the nail on the head.

"Despite what you think, the military actually has morals, unlike your friends in the White Fang," he said.

Shadow's eyes snapped up to him and he could see a flicker of anger in them. He intentionally dropped it in there to see if he could get a reaction out of him. Although it was childish on his end, it seemed to work.

"You don't know anything about the White Fang, so don't go running your mouth!" Shadow hissed.

"I know enough that you'd rather throw away a promising life for a stupid cause," Blackburn answered back.

"No different than you military punks."

"Whatever you say, bro. Now, seriously, what do you want to eat? I'm getting hungry and I'm sure a little food will help pull that giant broom out of your ass."

Shadow's lips sealed shut and he opted to glare back at him. Whether it was out of anger from his jab at the White Fang or being unable to rattle him, he did not know. What he did know was that he was still in control of the conversation and that's all that mattered for now.

"Guess we'll both be getting some pasta and meatballs. In the meantime, why don't you calm down a bit? I'm just trying to have a nice talk with you," said Blackburn.

With that, he got up and marched for the door. He opened it and let it shut behind him slowly and waited for the lock to click into place. He then made his way to Ironwood, Winter, and Sergeant Green.

"I wasn't being cute about that food, I'm serious. I'm hungry and I think this can help if I can get him to eat," he said.

Ironwood nodded and dismissed Sergeant Green to the mess hall to get the cooks working. When he left, Blackburn leaned against the wall and looked through the window again.

"Our interrogators tried this method already, Blackburn. He won't eat if you bring him food," said Ironwood.

"Did you leave him alone with it, or did they try to eat with him, sir?" He asked.

"Alone. It was the only way to get him to eat."

"Well, that's why I'm trying this. It might make him drop his guard a little. So long as I keep control, he can't do much to turn it in his favor."

While they waited for Sergeant Green to return with the fresh meal, Blackburn recalled some of the interrogation methods that were used on soldiers to test them and their mental strength. Those techniques were possibilities that he planned to use if it came down to it, but there was one in particular that would be the biggest card for them. Sleep deprivation.

Shadow had been hit with on and off interrogation, but it was not kept in a tempo that he couldn't deal with for extended periods of time. The boy's sessions had been once, maybe twice a day for two to four hours at the most before they would call it a night and try again later.

"That's what we need to do. The body can only handle so much before it starts shutting down and your mind starts to drift. We hit this guy again and again and we keep him awake when we are done talking with him. Once his mind is operating on fumes, we go in and ask the personal stuff to get what we need," said Blackburn.

"Don't you think he'll be expecting that?" Winter challenged. "He'll know that we're trying to break him down."

"He'll pick up on it eventually, but we'll see if he can deal with it or not. There's a reason why SF gets trained with this and why it's considered one of the hardest, if not the hardest part."

"He's not like us, though. He's just some kid in the White Fang."

"Exactly. He's a normal civilian, and unless he was trained by some high ranked guy in the White Fang, he's probably not as resilient."

He silently hoped that his hunch was right. If not, then he would have to take up the intensity and try a different approach to make Shadow talk.

The door opened and the aroma of fresh pasta and meatballs met his nostrils. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Sergeant Green wheel in a cart with two large pots of food and utensils and plates. He could feel his mouth water and his stomach gave another low growl that made Winter turn to him with a somewhat disgusted look.

"That's disgusting," she said.

"I blame you. I didn't get to eat when you talked to me earlier," he retorted.

Before she could respond to his comeback, he thanked Sergeant Green and wheeled the cart over to the door. He opened it and wheeled it inside to begin the second round of his questioning.

He wheeled the cart to a stop beside the table and picked up a plate and fork before loading his plate up with food. The smell wafted into him once more and he promptly sat down and stabbed his fork into the pasta to start wrapping it up. Once he got his fork completely wrapped, he shoveled it into his mouth and munched away, almost losing himself to the quelling sensation.

"That's better," he said in between chews. "You're missing out, man. I can't eat this on my own, and it'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

He continued to devour the food on his plate and patiently waited for a reaction from Shadow. In between his bites he would spare a quick look at the teenager to see if his resolve had been chipping away. If it was, he was doing a good job of hiding it.

Blackburn swallowed the last of the food in his mouth and let out a loud belch. He leaned back in his chair for a minute and looked at the food again. He was still hungry and got up to refill his plate.

He piled food on his plate once again and had to suppress a victorious grin when he saw Shadow out of the corner of his eye doing the same. The kid had finally believed that the food was in no way tampered with. After all, why would he eat his own food and risk divulging any personal stuff to him to turn the tables?

"Too bad they don't have any parmesan cheese to go with this. It'd taste even better," he said as he sat back down.

He waited for Shadow to sit down before he put another bite in his mouth. His eyes flicked to the kid again and he watched him hesitate before forcing a large bite into his mouth. And then another, and another.

"Told you it was good," Blackburn said taking another bite.

Shadow merely nodded back as he shoveled the last of his food into his mouth and swallowed it.

"So, are you going to tell me where you learned to drive like that?" Blackburn asked.

* * *

Time seemed to slip away from Blackburn as he sat in that room with Shadow. His hunch about getting him some food would help loosen him up proved to be true. So long as he could keep him talking about his personal life, it gave him more room to capitalize on getting the information they needed on Queen and Lotus. However, he had to tread lightly. It was still too early to try asking questions like that. If he did, all the work he put into the questioning he put him through would have been for nothing and they would be back to square one.

He learned quite a bit about the kid in front with him after talking with him for almost five straight hours. The boy had a natural affinity for cars and racing which is what his biggest passion was. It gave him an adrenaline rush and a high that could not be met by other needless hobbies that others would preoccupy themselves with.

Shadow became obsessed with racing cars in his early teenage years, just shortly after he started his life of crime. Before he began messing around with cars he had started out with some light crime ranging from vandalism, petty theft, and credit card scams. It all changed when he stole his first car to make some money after running out. He had stolen a fresh sports car from some wealthy man and ended up racing it down the freeway where he had experienced a high like never before in his earlier crimes.

The kid even made a name for himself on the streets outside of the crimes for racing other humans and Faunus alike. He had become unbeatable and there was no one able to challenge him or pose much of a threat to him in his racing life, until he met him.

"As much as I hate to say it, you definitely gave me a run for my money the other day. A lot of people I raced wouldn't have the balls to try and ram me off the road like you did for fear of retaliation," Shadow said with a light laugh.

"Well, I'm not one to back down from a challenge, kid," he answered with a small grin.

He glanced at the clock on the wall to the side and let out a sigh. With a stretch he popped his shoulders and neck and stood up. He put his and Shadow's plates on the cart and got ready to wheel them out, but stopped just shy of the door.

"Talk to you later," he said with a small nod.

He departed the room and wheeled the cart over to Sergeant Green. General Ironwood and Winter stood up and shifted their eyes between him and the window where Shadow was.

"When does he usually go to sleep?" Blackburn asked.

"Not for another two hours," Winter said with a long stretch.

It was almost ten o'clock. He had been talking to Shadow for almost six hours straight, but now it was time for him to implement his next piece of the interrogation.

"Okay, take him back to his quarters. Remember, we can't let him sleep. I say we keep him awake for forty-eight hours before we try hitting him with any of the serious questions," said Blackburn.

"How do you plan to keep him awake?" Ironwood rose a brow.

A wicked smirk formed on Blackburn's lips as he looked back at the general. He folded his arms as he leaned against the wall.

"Can my scroll connect to the network here, sir?"

The general nodded and his smirk grew even more.

"Just give me the password and I can guarantee he won't be sleeping at all."

After Blackburn received the password from Ironwood, Shadow was placed in handcuffs by Sergeant Green and escorted out of the room and back to his cell. While that was taking place, Winter and Blackburn went to the security room to watch him on the monitor.

Blackburn connected to the network with the password Ironwood had given him and went to the miscellaneous settings on his scroll. He would be having fun keeping the boy awake with his music that would more than likely do the job.

While he and Winter waited for Shadow to fall asleep, he had sent Glynda a message saying that he was helping Ironwood and Winter and would not be able to help her for the next couple of days. She gave him permission to take time off, but expected him back by Wednesday. He accepted her conditions and felt confident with himself to extract the information that they needed by then.

Shadow was a strong willed individual, but he was certain that the kid did not have the mentality to resist the questioning if he had little rest.

When he saw Shadow's eyes drift shut on the camera, he went to work. He brought up his scroll and began sifting through the database of songs. He was happy that he was one of the many that listened to loud music on a frequent basis and already had a playlist in mind to keep waking Shadow up.

His finger selected the song he was looking for and the second he got Winter's nod that the system was up and running, he tapped it again. Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' immediately burst to life over the speakers in the cell and Shadow leaped out of the bed in surprise, looking around like a man possessed for the source of the noise.

 _"Wakey, wakey, buddy."_ He grinned broadly

Shadow shook his head on the camera and laid back down on his bed to stare at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to reclaim him, but so long as he had control, he would not do so.

He and Winter sat in the chairs and watched the camera with sharp eyes and waited for Shadow to fall asleep each time before rousing him again. Throughout the night, Blackburn kept waking the teenager to the wonderful riffs of Pantera, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slipknot, Metallica, Slayer and whatever else he could throw at him.

He only gave the boy reprieve when he needed to back off and sleep for himself, but even then he and Winter instructed those that came in for their shift to continue waking him up with the loud music every time they saw him dozing off.

Blackburn did not question Shadow that next day and instead continued to play his hand with keeping the boy awake. It was obvious that the boy was growing frustrated with the constant interruptions from his precious sleep and it got to the point that he even began glaring at the camera in his cell, giving a rude hand gesture here and there to go with it.

After entrusting the soldiers that came and went when their shift was up, Winter led Blackburn to the training facility to go over the basics of swordplay. She had her blade in her hand and had been observing him with a sharp eye as he followed her precise instruction of how to stand, how to hold his blade and how to move when fighting.

Blackburn rolled across the ground and let out a growl as he looked up at Winter who looked back at him closely.

"Again!" Her voice cracked like a whip.

He got to his feet and gripped his blade with his right hand. It wasn't too tight, nor too loose, but enough for him to feel relaxed and ready to counter back with a strike of his own or a block or a parry.

"Remember, balance is key. Don't sacrifice it for power or a desperate hit. It leaves you open," she said.

He held his tongue and let out a shaky breath through his nose as he calmed himself down. Winter was no pushover with her training in terms of sword, then again, she wasn't when it came to their training with Aura and Semblance either. She was ruthless and constantly ran him through the ringer until he could no longer keep up with her. As much as he wanted to curse her time and again, he could not. She was doing what any good leader would do for their soldiers, and that was train them to their fullest potential.

He got in the same stance as before. Dominant foot forward and a decent grip on Mustang. Winter told him to balance his weight on both feet as opposed to one foot in general and had given him a three strike attack to practice. Each part of the strike was a fast flick of his wrist. One overhead, one outer, and one inner.

Every time he was too slow or if he made an incorrect movement, she would charge in with her raw speed and knock him off balance.

This time he opted to change up his grip. Instead of using one hand like Winter had been doing, he gripped Mustang with both hands and held it at the ready. His action gained a raised brow from Winter, but she was ready once again to go at him and intercept his attacks.

He gave a nod at her and she vanished in a blur of white. On instinct he stepped forward and brought Mustang down with both hands for a quick slash. His blade met Winter's in a shower of sparks and he could see the focus in her eyes as she deflected the hit with ease. That was one, only two more to go.

His foot stepped forward after he gave a hard push off and forced the specialist back. He then gripped his blade tight and swung it like a bat for her head. She deflected it with ease, but he felt pride course through him when he saw her grimace from the block she gave. The strength caught her off guard, but not by much.

One more to go. On his previous attempts he hand tried bringing the sword around for his inner strike, but that was what gave him problems. It left him too open and each time he gave Winter an opening in trying to follow through with her order, she would bring the pain and make him reset. It was frustrating, yet a challenge he was eager to overcome.

This time, he changed his approach. Instead of trying to come inside her guard immediately, he spun on his heel with Mustang out for a spinning attack. It left his back exposed, but he had enough speed to prevent her from doing like she did so many times before. Their blades met again with a loud clang and rattled as they tried to overpower each other.

"How's that?" He grunted out.

"Not bad." She smirked back before sweeping her leg out and knocking him off balance.

He landed with a hard thud and scowled when she pointed her blade at his face.

"But you've got a long way to go," she finished.

He rolled his eyes and accepted her hand when she extended it to him. She pulled him up and let him pick up Mustang before looking at her scroll.

"We should check to see if Shadow's still awake," she said.

"Yeah. Let's go." He shifted Mustang back into its rifle form.

He slung his weapon and followed her out of the training room.

While he kept the pressure on Shadow for the past two days, he kept thinking of how to continue the questioning. He wanted to dive straight in to the White Fang and his relationship with Queen and Lotus, but that was a foolish move on his end. He had to know whether or not Shadow as exhausted enough to reveal what he wanted. If not, then he had to keep probing him with simple questions to take his mind off the potential possibility of doing so.

They entered the security room and walked up to the monitors that kept a close eye on the inmates in the cell block. Their eyes immediately located Shadow's and they were pleased with what they saw.

The boy's head bobbed lightly as he sat on his bed. There were dark rings under his eyes and his eyelids were drooping with exhaustion. He looked ready to pass out and slip into the warm clutches of sleep.

Blackburn turned his eyes to Winter's and he grinned.

"I think it's time to talk to him," he said.

"Very well. I'll go get General Ironwood," said Winter.

"Give me half an hour before we do it so I can clean up a bit."

Winter nodded back and departed the room. He turned back to the monitor and crossed his arms. He was still in control and he was certain that it would not take much to get the kid to spill his mind.

Shadow slumped forward on the bed and swayed lightly, no doubt drifting in and out of slumber.

"No, no, don't do that. Stay awake, buddy," said Blackburn.

His hand flew to his scroll and he sifted through the endless list of songs trying to find the right one to rouse him this time.

 _"Let's try this one."_ He tapped the selected tune.

He watched the monitor and laughed when Shadow jumped high into the air again and opened his mouth in a scream of frustration. The teen proceeded to look at the camera and shout obscenities at it, but whatever he said was drowned out as he turned up the volume to Trivium's 'In Waves' even more.

* * *

Blackburn returned to the detention block after shaving and showering to see Winter, Ironwood, Sergeant Green and another man with them.

"Blackburn, I'd like you to meet our head interrogator, Sergeant Doyle." Ironwood gestured to the man with jet black hair.

He reached out and shook the sergeant's hand and turned back to Ironwood and Winter.

"He's been brought up to speed with what you have done with Shadow for the past forty-eight hours and would like to watch your next session," Ironwood continued.

"That's fine with me, sir." He nodded back before looking to Doyle. "Just one thing, I'm not trained in this. This is just me doing what I think will work."

"Lieutenant Schnee made that point known immediately," Doyle answered back.

Well, that took care of that.

He marched to the door and entered the room. He saw Shadow leaning forward on the table with his face in his hands. He pulled the chair back and when he did not get a response from the boy, sat down and slammed his heels on the floor.

The boy jumped and his head shot up at the sudden loud noise. Shadow took a couple of deep breaths and leveled him with a tired glare.

"You look like ten miles of bad road. The hell happened to you?" He pointed to his face.

Shadow opened his mouth to speak, but his mouth quickly shut. His glare only grew as he stared back at him.

"You look like you haven't slept in a few days. Is everything okay in your cell? Any maintenance problems like AC or heat not coming through? Lights not coming on?" He listed off.

For now he would feign his concern for the boy by trying to get him to admit he had not gotten sleep and that there was a problem. Playing the sympathy card worked, but it could not be given every time the detainee came in for questioning. Just enough to temporarily solve the problem and then bargain with him in the process.

"Come on, Shadow. Talk to me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." He leaned back in his chair.

"The speaker in my cell keeps playing music when I try to sleep," he growled out.

"Really? Did you try to tell any of the guards about it?"

"I did. They just told me it was a technical difficulty going through the cell blocks."

"Well, that sucks."

Shadow scoffed at his offhanded retort and folded his arms as he leaned back in the chair. His baggy eyes remained in their fixed glare.

"You want any coffee or energy drinks? I'd like to continue our conversation from the other day," said Blackburn.

Shadow's eyes narrowed even more.

"I don't need to stay awake. I need sleep." He shook his head.

"Hate to break it to you, buddy, but this is your questioning time again and they'll keep you awake until it's done."

His mouth snapped shut and he silently cursed when he caught his slip of the tongue. He felt his heart stop beating for a minute when Shadow gave him a long look, as if playing back the words he said in his head.

As they sat in silence, Blackburn prayed that Shadow had missed his words and let a long breath escape his nose. Finally, the teen just gave a light shrug back and his head slumped forward again.

"Hey, wake up!" He spoke up, getting Shadow to groan again. "Come on, let's keep talking. I got them bringing some energy drinks."

"Whatever." Shadow rubbed his eyes.

He had dodged a bullet and was glad that the boy was showing signs of disorientation. From the look of it, Shadow missed what he said about keeping him awake and he completely forgot about the energy drink proposal.

"You want to know what my dad did to wake me up sometimes?" Blackburn asked.

"What?" Was Shadow's muffled response.

"If I didn't get up for school, he'd throw cold water on me. And if we went camping, he'd throw me in the lake."

He hated it when his father did that when he was younger, but looking back on it only made him laugh. It may have been a dick move on his end, but that was his way of showing he loved him as well as his sense of humor.

Shadow scoffed and shook his head.

"Your dad sounds like an asshole."

"Ah, he's not too bad when you know him. But I know no one comes close to him in that subject."

Shadow scoffed again and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"My dad tops him. He tried to drown me and would have succeeded if my mom didn't blow him away."

As Shadow relayed that piece of information, Blackburn cupped his chin and nodded, all the while smirking inwardly. That would help down the road if he needed to take it up a notch.

The door opened and Sergeant Doyle came in with two energy drinks and set them on the table. His and Shadow's eyes met in a hard stare before he turned on his heel and departed a moment later.

Blackburn continued with his plan and opened the can of his energy drink and gulped some it down. He shifted a bit in his chair to get comfortable and watched Shadow mimic him. The teen was quick to down all the contents in the can and crushed it in his hand.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"Enough." Shadow grunted back.

"Good. Let's keep going."

Once again, time flew as he and Shadow continued talking about the simplest things. He would spare the occasional glance at his watch to keep track of when he wanted to start asking him what mattered. Shadow had now been up fifty-four hours and during their talk, he would doze in and out of the conversation or go to completely different subjects from what they were talking about in the first place.

It was now or never. He sat up straight at the table and looked Shadow dead in the eye.

"You know, your friends Queen and Lotus have been causing some big problems for Vale lately. First the Breach, and now this?" He began.

Shadow said nothing at first and only blinked. His shoulders shook and he burst out laughing.

"I was wondering when you'd finally ask about this. You think I didn't notice your little slip up earlier or the fact you were probably the reason I didn't get any sleep these past two days?"

Not good. He bit the inside of his cheek and kept his face completely void of visible frustration as he waited for Shadow to stop laughing. He only had one card left to play, and he sure as hell was going to use it.

"You all do the same thing." Shadow shook his head. "Come in here acting all reasonable and what not to get me to talk, but the second you leave this room you're a completely different person. No different than what I did when I indulged you for our talks."

Blackburn gave a muffled grunt. Time to improvise.

"All right, I'll be blunt. You're going to tell us what we want to know, because if you don't, I will make your life a living hell," he said.

Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess, you're going to torture me, right?"

"That's right." His retort was fast and sharp. "I'm not sure what they tried on you, but I'm willing to bet I can help them break you. So, here's your one chance. I will ask you everything we want to know about your bosses and their plans, and you're going to tell me what they are. Simple as that."

Shadow narrowed his eyes again and shook his head, the smirk returning to his face.

"You're full of it."

A loud slam sounded as Blackburn stood up at the table and sent the chair to the floor. He leaned forward, his brow fixed in a furious glare as it bore into Shadow's somewhat startled eyes.

"You think this is a game? Then let's play," he said.

He turned on his heel and left the room.

"What's your backup plan?" Ironwood asked him.

He looked through the window and could see the cocky look on Shadow's face as he leaned back in his chair. He glanced at Ironwood and then to Winter.

"We're going to try that method I told you about," he said.

"Waterboarding?" She answered back.

"That's right."

Winter nodded and walked over to the door with Sergeant Doyle. They went inside the room and roughly grabbed Shadow and hoisted him up and guided him out. The smug look was still present.

Once Sergeant Doyle had him secured in cuffs, he escorted him out of the room and down the hall.

"How do you know this will work?" Winter asked him.

"Because he slipped up, too," he said.

"When?"

"When he told me that his old man almost drowned him as a kid."

* * *

The room was just a little bigger than the previous one where they questioned Shadow. Inside was a table that had straps fitted to bind an individual by their shoulders, arms and legs. At the upper head on the floor there was an empty bucket. Beside it was a row of jugs filled with water a pair of towels rested on top of them.

Blackburn leaned against the wall and stared at the setup he planned to use. There was only one way to find out whether or not the waterboarding would work. He had heard mixed stories on the effectiveness on the practice, but if Shadow told him the truth about his father almost drowning him, it should work.

The kid would be under severe mental stress, but he had his chance to tell him what he wanted. Instead, he treated it as a joke and would now learn his lesson the hard way.

"Are you okay?" Winter asked from beside him.

"What?" He looked back at her.

"You look conflicted about this. Are you having second thoughts?"

He bit his lip and looked down at the floor. Was Winter right?

He shook his head and dismissed it, but it was there. That annoying little bit of his conscience began to claw through his head. It was telling him to reconsider the action he was about to take, but once again he buried it deep until it faded from his mind.

If he were to be honest with himself, he didn't even think it was the concept of using waterboarding that was eating him, but more so doing it to a kid. A stupid kid who was in way over his head. Much like the one that almost killed him during his first deployment. Regardless if the kid was a terrorist with his allegiance to the White Fang, he was still a kid.

The door opened and he stood off the wall. Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle came in with Shadow who had a burlap bag over his head and stopped him just shy of the table. General Ironwood came in and closed the door behind him and stood beside Winter.

Ironwood then nodded for Green and Doyle to place Shadow on the table. The teen didn't even struggle and waited patiently as he got strapped to it tightly. Once he was secured, Green rested the empty bucket just under Shadow's head and Doyle pulled out the towel and held a soaked rag in his other hand as he stood off to the side.

"Let's be clear with something, Shadow. If you have a change of heart and tell us what we want to know, we will stop with the torture and treat you properly. Do you understand?" Said General Ironwood.

"Whatever, old man," came his muffled reply.

Doyle stepped to the table, shoved the rag into Shadow's mouth and unfolded the towel. He stretched it across the entirety of Shadow's face and nodded at Green. Green stepped up with a fresh carton of water and tipped it just enough for water to fall from the top and land over Shadow's covered face. It took a couple of seconds, but Shadow's body soon tensed and his hands sook violently in a petrified grip.

He sputtered and coughed violently and Doyle lifted the towel off his face.

"You feel like talking yet?" Blackburn asked from his position by the wall.

Shadow's response was muffled, but his words were clear as day.

"Fuck you!" Shadow coughed again.

"Guess not. Like General Ironwood said, just tell us when you want to talk and we'll stop."

He nodded for the two men to continue and they did so. The damp towel was smothered over Shadow's covered head and his body instantly tensed again in anticipation.

Green poured the water once more. The water began to splatter as it hit the soaked towel and raced down the sides. Underneath it, Shadow squirmed violently as he tried to endure it, but he soon hacked again, sending water into the air.

Doyle waved off Green to let Shadow have his time to recuperate from the brutal assault. The boy's breaths came in panicked hitches and a whimper escaped his lips every now and then.

"Do you want to talk, or do you want another dunk?" Doyle asked.

Shadow didn't respond. A light slap to the side of his face made him flinch.

"Green, get ready. I'll get another towel." Doyle tossed the soaked towel aside.

Doyle pulled a fresh towel from the jugs on the floor and unwrapped it to cover his head again. He waited for Green to pick up a new jug of water before resting the towel over Shadow's head and pulling.

This time the boy let out a muffled response.

"Speak up, kid," said Doyle as he pulled the towel off, followed by the rag from his mouth.

"No more. Please." He rasped out.

"You ready to talk now?" Blackburn stepped forward.

"Yes!"

Doyle pulled the burlap bag off of Shadow's head. The boy winced when the light hit his eyes and coughed again. His face was drenched with water and it trickled down into his soaked hoodie.

"Remember, you lie to us, you're getting another dose of that. So talk," said Blackburn.

"What do you want to know? I can only tell you bits and pieces," Shadow stuttered.

"Bits and pieces? Not good enough. Doyle, Green, hit him again," said Blackburn.

Shadow stammered again as he tried to protest against the quick retort.

"Wait! Wait! When I mean that, I mean only pieces I know!" He shook in his binds. "Look, I'm just a messenger, man! I don't know what Queen or Lotus have planned!"

Blackburn's footsteps echoed heavily in the room as he stepped up to the table and loomed over the bound teenager.

"I'm listening," he said.

Shadow nodded again.

"R-right, well, here's the deal. I never reported to Queen or Lotus directly, I always reported to other middlemen. It helped prevent risk of compromising their identities and any possible leaks for those that may have second thoughts and defect."

"What exactly are they planning to do next?" Winter interjected.

Shadow craned his neck to catch a glimpse of her and stared silently at her. He swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing again.

"I- I don't know. I was a low level guy trying to get into the White Fang. They didn't trust me because they knew of my criminal track record and assigned me to be a messenger to see whether or not I could be trusted before being brought in, so all I heard was rumors of this and that."

"Who were the ones you reported to from Queen and Lotus? What were their names?"

Shadow shook his head.

"For Lotus it was some random henchman that was sent out by his lieutenant, Banesaw. Big, scary son of a bitch. And for Queen it was Roman Torchwick before he got nabbed during the Breach, but now it's some woman with weird lookin' eyes."

Now they were getting somewhere. Roman was incarcerated on the other end of the detention block, so they would be able to try this method on him for answers later. To go with that, if what the boy just said was true, then they would be able validate it pending on the conman's responses.

"What did this woman look like?" Winter asked.

"Really short. One pink and brown eye. She has long, pink and brown hair, too," Shadow answered.

Green was jotting down each bit of information that the boy gave them and turned the page in his notebook when he was ready to copy down another answer.

"We raided a White Fang compound not too long ago. We found that there was a lot of stolen property from the SDC. My father's company. How did they get their hands on it and what do they intend to do with it?" Winter glared down at him.

Shadow swallowed again and opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. He shook his head and met Winter's eyes.

"L-look, like I said, I only hear rumors and even then it could be all talk. One thing I pieced together was that they've been stealing SDC property and shipping it to compounds across the kingdoms, probably for something big."

"Where are these compounds located?" Winter pressed.

"All over the friggin' place. Didn't you hear me? Every kingdom has White Fang compounds hidden with SDC supplies being shipped to them. Whatever they're planning, it's big, and it'll make the Breach look like child's play."

Winter firmly gripped the front of Shadow's hoodie and leveled him with a glare that had the capability to freeze Hell over. Shadow remained stiff in her hand.

"Then tell me locations of the ones you know, or I'll let Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle continue having their fun," she sneered.

"I only know where four of them are. Two of them are on the border of Vale and Vacuo. There's another on the northern end of the continent near the ports, and the last is on the western edge of Mistral."

Green scribbled down the locations on his notebook and signaled for Winter to continue her questioning.

"What are these other rumors you spoke of?" She released her hold on Shadow.

The young man shook his head again.

"The last one I remember hearing was too crazy for it to be true…" he tried to dismiss it.

"What was it?" Winter pried.

"That the White Fang was going to try and assassinate Jacques Schnee."

Silence filled the room and all eyes turned to the daughter of said man. It was no secret that her relationship with her father was less than pleasant, but they were still family nonetheless. The fact that Shadow now said that it was a possibility that the White Fang would try to assassinate the man came as a surprise, albeit a farfetched one.

The Faunus' relationship towards the Schnee family was hostile and for them to go so far as to try an assassination attempt on the head of the SDC himself was asinine.

Winter merely blinked and rested her hands at the small of her back. Her eyes stayed locked with Shadow's and were detecting for the smallest trace of deceit with his words.

"I see. And did they say when it would take place?" She found her voice.

Shadow shook his head.

"No idea. Like I said, it's way too crazy for them to try that," he answered her.

"And those hideouts you mentioned before, can you point them out to us on a map?" Winter reverted to her previous question.

"Yeah."

Winter stepped back and made her way to the door. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at Shadow once more.

"Thank you."

With that, she opened it and left the room. Blackburn and General Ironwood followed her out while Green and Doyle began to remove Shadow from the table.

* * *

Three sets of feet echoed on the floor as they trekked down the hall and to the hangar. The interrogation was over and from what they got out of Shadow was a decent start. The boy had been terrified after being exposed to the waterboarding and had answered all of the questions they had for him.

"I would suggest to have Doyle try that method on Roman next time. See if he may be able to confirm everything Shadow said," said Blackburn.

"That was my intention. Roman's been stubborn through every talk we've attempted with him, but this time we may be able to get something out of him," said Ironwood.

"Here's hoping. Let me know if you guys do get something."

"Of course."

General Ironwood stopped short of the hangar doors and extended his hand to Blackburn. He took it and gave it a firm shake. He thanked him one last time and left him and Winter as he returned to his study.

When Ironwood was out of sight, Blackburn turned to Winter who had been silent ever since she left the detention block. Her eyes were distant. Lost in the thoughts of everything that she heard, but more than likely what was said about her father.

His hand reached up and he paused before resting it firmly on her shoulder. Winter's eyes quickly turned to him and he offered her a small smile.

"You good? After what you heard, I mean?" He asked.

"I'm just surprised, I guess. I know the White Fang and Faunus have been bitter towards my family, and with good reason. I suppose it's just a shock that they would consider doing something like that when they've never attempted it before," she said.

"Well, until we got evidence to back it up, it's just a rumor. It's okay to think about it, but don't let that become your overall priority and obsess over it. You still have a job to do."

Winter smiled and gently pulled his hand off her shoulder. She opened the door to the hangar and led him to the bullhead in the center of it.

He climbed up the ramp and spun around to face Winter again when she called out to him.

"We still have to train tomorrow morning, so don't forget your weapon. You still need work." She smirked at him.

He rolled his eyes and leaned in the frame as he crossed his arms.

"Whatever you say, LT. I'll surpass you in that department sooner than you think," he said.

The door hissed shut and he trudged over to the bench and plopped down. He let out a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes. The bullhead rose into the air and flew out of the hangar and began its short journey to Beacon. Although it was a short ride, he closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

* * *

 **There's the chapter folks. Hope you enjoyed it and that it makes up for my delay. Before I leave you with my story shout outs and review responses, I want to make note of something. I made the interrogation in this scene based off of Blackburn as a person where there would be no strict guidelines of doing it professionally, and the biggest reason for that is because he's not experienced in it save for his little classes from power points. I wanted to follow the rules to an extent, but didn't want to make it overly professional for that soul purpose. On that note, interrogation is truly not called that anymore and is actually defined as "Tactical Questioning". Anyway, check out the info below, and I'll see you all next time.**

 **Military Vocabulary:**

 **RTI: Resistance to Interrogation**

 **SME: Subject Matter Expert**

 **SERE: Search Evasion Resistance Escape. Important training for SF soldiers and pilots to give them the skills and discipline to survive behind enemy lines should they be captured.**

 **SF: Special Forces**

 **LT: Short for lieutenant**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next update is projected for March 4th**

 **Story Shout Outs:**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 2/17/17**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **mcd3424: Thanks. Well, hopefully the interrogation and torture bit was tasteful for you in this case.**

 **TopHatGuy: Did you skim that over? Because Blackburn stated he's not interested in her like that. Not just because he's a teacher, but because he's not even sure he wants that in his life after what happened with his ex.**

 **Maverick058: Y'ALL ARE STARTIN' TO LOOK LIKE ELVIS'S! Heh, thanks for the review, man. Mustang will get her time to shine soon enough, just you wait.**

 **JohnRyan117 Esp: I'm not going to say you're wrong or excuse myself on this one. I didn't want Blackburn to win. Coco's supposed to be very experienced and for her to have good control over firing her gun if you've seen her in the show, I felt it was plausible for her to beat him, even if it was by crap luck on his end with a defective target.**

 **GoldSpark1: Thanks for the review, however I'll have to say to not count Blackburn's loss at the range or his constant beatings in training be a deciding factor that he won't succeed in either CQC or ranged combat. I don't want him to get the hang of everything instantly. I'm not afraid to make him lose or show him struggle. He's more than capable of pulling his own to an extent, and you'll see that soon enough.**

 **OBSERVER01: Thanks for the review. Ruby's like that weird little sister he never had, and let's just say his "Not Date" with Coco will bring up some more elements about his ex later down the road.**

 **Boyy2k: Thanks for the review. All good things come to an end, but this story is far from over. Glad you like it enough to follow it for now.**


	21. Conflict of Interest

**Late again with the update. Life and I MAY or may not have been preoccupied with Breath of the Wild. As always, thanks a bunch for the continued support of the story. It means a lot more to me than you know. Anyway, let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter stood against the wall, arms crossed as she leveled the notorious criminal with a harsh stare. The man returned it with a simple, sly grin that only infuriated her. She held her tongue and remained silent, opting to let Sergeant Doyle play his hand after their success with Shadow.

She was not one for being able to read people well and would only begrudgingly admit it, but she knew this was not her area of strength. With how easy Shadow cracked after they implemented the waterboarding technique and how compliant he had been, she was sure that the boy had told them everything he knew that was true to his knowledge. However, until they had confirmation from the man sitting at the table in front of them, it was only suspected intelligence.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of talking with you wonderful Atlas specialists this time?" Roman leaned forward resting his chin on his hands.

Sergeant Doyle said nothing and kept eye contact with the redhead. This only made Roman raise a brow in mock interest.

"Oh, not talking for once? This is definitely a new and wild move on your end!" He continued turning his gaze to Winter. "You too, Ice Queen? No chit chat? No witty retort? My, I'm just speechless."

Cold air graced her nostrils like a rush of water as she took a sharp breath. It took everything in her power to exercise restraint and refrain from biting at the crook's words. That was what he wanted and had succeeded in doing whenever she tried anything with him and it always worked in his favor. Not this time, though.

"Look Roman, I don't know how to break it to you, but Shadow broke and told us everything," said Doyle.

Roman merely rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the table.

"Did he now?" He asked. "What'd he say?"

"A little of this. A little of that, but I can say that it was more than enough to make a move on your friends."

Roman laughed and shook his head. He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Ah, that's rich. My friends, huh? Let me tell you a little something about the business here," he said as he rested his feet back on the floor.

He made sure that Doyle and Winter were listening closely before continuing.

"Black market criminals like me have no friends. We're nothing but rats trying to survive and become top dog. It's a game, and I'm very good at it."

Doyle shrugged and folded his arms.

"Not good enough if you're here," he said offhandedly.

"Hey, I got my fair share of enemies. The Breach was a means of insurance on my end."

Doyle shook his head and his brow creased into a firm glare.

"You mean to tell me that you are the real mastermind behind the Breach? You said the same thing to General Ironwood when we first caught you, but I know you're full of shit," he said.

The crook smirked back at him and leaned back in his chair. He placed the cigar they brought him in his mouth and lit it with the lone match that was on the table. Embers glowed at the tip and the smell of smoke began to fill the room. He took one long puff and blew out a small stream of smoke.

"That's right. I'm not exactly the most liked person in the market, and with good reason. I've screwed over just about every lowlife rat in this town and there's a lot of them that want nothing more than to see me dead in a gutter. What better way to save my own skin than to willingly let Atlas take me into custody?"

Doyle just shrugged lightheartedly.

"Maybe I'd believe it if Shadow didn't convince me otherwise. You're Queen's bitch, that much is certain."

There was a small shift in Roman's eyes. It was subtle, but they grew sharp at the remark.

"Don't affiliate me with that woman," he answered back with a puff of smoke.

"Why not? I know it's true." Doyle stood up.

He stretched for a minute and pulled out his pack of cigarettes and picked one from it. His fingers brought the death stick to his lips and he fumbled in his pocket again to fish out a lighter. It clicked open and a flame ignited the tip of his cigarette and vanished as the lighter snapped shut.

His footsteps echoed around the room as he walked to Winter, keeping his back to Roman. He was now thinking of how he could trap Roman into confirming some of the information Shadow said before they proceeded with future operations.

"You may be an expert thief, but you scumbags excel at something more than that," said Doyle.

"Enlighten me, Professor!" Roman clapped from his chair.

"Self-preservation. You will fight those of your level or you can take down with ease, but the second you are outmatched or trapped, you will take the extreme option to make sure you survive. So, tell me, what is Queen holding over you to keep you in line?"

Winter silently watched her staff member turn around and pull his cigarette out to release a breath of smoke. Her eyes then trailed to Roman to see if he had been rattled at all. What she saw caught her interest just a bit.

The man had always been mocking and condescending in the previous questioning sessions, but now he had no words to offer. Instead, he found solace in taking a long drag from the cigar they gave him and a long glare.

"We know you were the middleman for Queen before we caught you, so what leverage does she have over you? What power does she have to keep you in check?"

Roman blew out more smoke from his cigar and the tip of it burned orange once more as he took another drag. He held his breath and released another stream after a few seconds, this time from his nose.

"Enough."

Doyle scoffed lightly and shook his head. Not much, but it was a start. The man was not denying his affiliation with Queen, but he had yet to spill what they truly needed.

He scratched the growing stubble on his face and trudged over to Roman as if he were ready to cuff him and return him to his cell like so many times before. That was until he straightened his arm and a small syringe fell from his sleeve and into his hand. His hand was a blur and it found its mark in Roman's neck.

The sudden poke made him stiffen and his eyes widened in surprise. He turned his gaze up to Doyle's and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Roman's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell out of the chair. He hit the floor with a hard thud and his cigar rolled away.

"What do you think?" Winter got off the wall.

Doyle looked back at her and then down to Roman.

"I think he needs a bath," he answered with a puff of smoke.

He bent down and sat Roman up before turning his gaze to the door. A sharp whistle shot from his lips and it opened to reveal Sergeant Green and another MP. The MP hurried over to help him carry Roman out of the room.

"I'll try waterboarding him when he wakes up. Why don't you see if Shadow's up so he can point out those hideouts on the map?"

Winter nodded back at Doyle, turned on her heel and departed the room with Sergeant Green to her left.

The two of them kept on their trek to Shadow's cell, simply enjoying each other's company and the calm silence. They rounded a corner and started down another long hall in the labyrinth of the cell block.

From the corner of her eye, Winter could see Green sparing her a glance every now and then.

"What is it, Sergeant?" She finally asked, making the man perk up.

"Nothing, ma'am. I just couldn't help but notice that you've changed a bit," he replied.

She quirked an eyebrow at his words and stopped in her tracks. The comment had been one of the last things she expected to hear from the man. Sure, they had offhanded conversations from time to time, but most of their talks had been business related. His remark about her attitude was a quick attention getter and her curiosity had risen.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Green offered her a small smile.

"Well, you're not as wound up as you used to be. You're more relaxed and open. You definitely seem more approachable and forgiving when it comes to mistakes."

She blinked at his response and her mind drifted for a moment.

Had she lightened up like he claimed? She was usually too busy to notice much of a change in herself. It had been the same routine day in and day out.

"I think that Blackburn has had a bit of an impact on you," he continued.

She shook her head and snapped to attention at that last remark. Her eyes cast down and her mind drifted to the man. It was almost hard for her to believe the words that came out of Green's mouth, but she would be lying if she denied that.

It was odd. It had been almost two whole months since she met Blackburn that night. She had been introduced to his courage and character from the get go when he defied her order to surrender and instead fought her. Their fight had been one sided, but she found his resolve to fight to the end like a warrior was admirable. She had been humiliated when he managed to hit her during their fight, and he did not even have Aura. As much as it infuriated her, it intrigued her at the same time.

From then on, their entire relationship had been based around petty arguments and fights. It could have been anything from personal stances on missions, or even something miniscule as an offhanded comment. Through those fights she learned quite a bit about him and a little about herself. The epiphany she came to was that it was not his personality she disliked, it was the opposite. She liked him because of it. It was a foil to her as her polar opposite.

She was used to structure, order and professionalism. It was not just from growing up under her father, but a part of military lifestyle. He was more laid back, risky, and tenacious. Even though he was in the military himself, he didn't let that completely dictate his actions, no matter what it brought. He challenged her and she challenged him, much like soldiers do regardless of their rank. She as his superior had standards for him in his training and pushed him to succeed, and he had challenged her with her decisions by questioning them and making her adapt to deal with his personality.

It was similar to her past relationship with Sergeant Silva, only more dynamic.

"I see…" she finally said.

Green immediately stiffened as if he had accidentally crossed the line and looked ready for the verbal lashing. She was almost taken aback by his quick reaction to her words, but smirked inwardly.

"Don't be so quick to judge," her words were sharp and fast, "I'm still me. By suggesting such a thing, it tells me I need to rectify my behavior, Sergeant."

"Right. My apologies, ma'am." Green nodded back, a thin layer of sweat began to sheen on his forehead.

Her face immediately softened and her shoulders shuddered a bit as a giggle escaped her.

"Ma'am?" Green looked at her utterly confused.

"Forgive me. I couldn't resist," she said with another giggle.

Green's posture relaxed and a look of relief washed over him and a small smile spread across his face. He shook his head and chuckled a little bit.

"You scared the crap out of there, ma'am," he said as they started walking again.

They rounded another corner and moved down the hall.

"So, what would you call Blackburn now?" He asked her.

She smiled again as they slowed to a stop outside Shadow's cell.

"A friend."

* * *

Winter's eyes stared at the blown up image of the map on the monitor.

She and Sergeant Green had escorted Shadow to the main deck with two MPs ready to restrain him or take him back to his cell if he had a change of heart. General Ironwood entered the room and the door sealed shut behind him.

"Room, attention!" She called out.

Every soldier snapped straight up as their commander was announced.

"As you were," Ironwood dismissed them.

He strode over to the console and stood beside her.

"Is he ready?" He asked, referring to Shadow.

"Yes, sir. I was waiting for you to arrive," she said with a nod.

He turned his eyes to the MPs and motioned for them move him to the map.

"You said that the White Fang had outposts that you knew of with key shipping points. I want you to point out exactly where they are on the map," said Ironwood.

Shadow nodded and walked up to the map. One of the MPs held out a pointer for him and he took it with some difficulty with his cuffed hands. Once he had a good grip, he looked up at the map again and his eyes scanned it as he got ready to point them out.

Winter was ready to highlight the area on the map he indicated and glanced at the list that Sergeant Green had made when they questioned him the other day. Four locations. Two on the border of Vacuo and Vale, one on the far northern end of Vale itself near the ports, and the last was on the west coast of Mistral. It was time to see if the boy was true to his word.

He finally lifted the pointer and shifted it to the border of Vacuo and Vale.

"One's here," said Shadow.

She circled the gridded section and plotted a number beside it to keep track of them. When she finished, she followed the pointer to the next one on the border. This time it was closer to the sea. She circled the area and marked it like the previous one. She did it again for the last two locations and did a check with what was written on the piece of paper to make sure nothing had been changed.

Shadow remained true to what he said, and if they could only get Roman to shed light on it for confirmation they would be set.

"And you're sure this is where these outposts are?" Ironwood towered in front of the boy.

Shadow's body immediately tensed and he nodded slowly, struggling to make eye contact with the general.

"I swear on my life," he quickly answered back.

"How long has it been since you've been to any of these locations?" Ironwood continued his questioning.

"I was at that one there the week before you captured me." He pointed to the location on Vale's northern end.

Ironwood nodded and sent a quick glance to the location and then back to Shadow. It was useful, but it was outdated. His capture would have guaranteed that the White Fang would have relayed it to their cells in those areas. If they knew they were compromised, there was a high chance they cleaned house and shifted any useful intelligence or supplies to a secondary location.

"That lieutenant you mentioned, Banesaw," said Ironwood, noting the boy's stiff state at the man's name. "How efficient is he at his job?"

Shadow's face was pale and he swallowed before opening his mouth to speak again.

"Very. He's Lotus' second in command for a reason. You fuck up, he makes an example of you. He's a strong, crazy psychopath that has little care for how a job gets accomplished. So long as it's done, he doesn't care who gets hurt or what is lost."

"I see. Then would I be correct in assuming that he would have alerted these outposts of your capture?" Ironwood replied.

Shadow's brow furrowed as if he was in deep thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Probably. Something goes wrong, he's quick to try and fix the mistake."

"Damn it." Ironwood clenched his fist.

"I hate to break it to you, but those locations I gave may be abandoned now."

Ironwood said nothing as he gave a hard stare at Shadow.

"For your sake they better not be," he said in a low tone.

With that, he dismissed the MPs who guided Shadow out of the room and back to the detention block. Ironwood turned to look up at the map again and crossed his arms as he thought about their options.

From her perspective, Winter could only see two. Inaction, which was not an option and the other would be to take the risk of using outdate information and try to get a lead. However, with that came the logistical issue.

They had four target areas and they could not divert much of their manpower due to their security role in Vale. The mission itself would take a few days and would require thorough searches to find any form of valid information.

"Permission to speak, sir?"

"Go ahead, Winter," Ironwood said turning to look at her.

"Would I be correct in assuming that we need to search these areas regardless of the chance?" She began.

"Yes, but that's not the problem."

"It's the manpower."

Ironwood nodded back and walked over to her. He was waiting to hear her opinion on the matter since she was the acting commander for the field missions.

"Since we can't deploy our forces, I don't think we have much of a choice. We need to ask Professor Ozpin to help us," she said.

"Go on," he answered back.

"If we can get four of his best teams for the job and some of his staff, we may be able to make this work."

Ironwood nodded at her proposition and cupped his chin.

"This still poses a problem. There's only three professors that can be sent into the field at a time. If you will be heading one of the teams, we would need one more person to lead the final one."

She bit her lip and looked down at the floor. As much as she would have liked to have Professor Goodwitch or Professor Peach tasked out to help, they had their hands full with additional duties to the school. She would be able to get Doctor Oobleck and Professor Port, but there was still a need for one more.

A sigh escaped her and she met Ironwood's eyes once more.

"There is one I can think of, sir," she said.

"Who is it?" He raised a brow.

"Blackburn. I know you and Ozpin barred him from missions after what happened on the last one and part of that was due to my complaint, but the fact is we need someone who can go. He's done things like this before, so it's only natural to have somebody like him leading one of the teams."

The general's face softened a bit as he mulled over her decision. It was doable, but he would not be able to give him the go ahead alone. There was also the risk of him leading a team against an enemy he knew little about. He was also not experienced in leadership, having confirmed that he was getting prepped to be an NCO.

"Before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to call Ozpin and tell him everything. He has to be the one to clear everything before we can even think of acting," he said.

"Understood, sir," she said as she pulled up the contact roster.

She dialed Ozpin's office line and they waited patiently. Once the line picked up, Ozpin's face appeared on the main monitor.

"James," Ozpin greeted with a small nod.

"Ozpin." Ironwood gave a nod of his own. "We have acquired some information pertaining to our ongoing operations against the White Fang."

"Do tell."

"We managed to get Shadow to talk and he revealed four locations that are areas of interest to acquire intelligence. I've got Lieutenant Schnee sending you the map now."

Winter was fast with Ironwood's statement and sent Ozpin the file containing the plotted areas Shadow gave them. She watched the man's eyes shift on the screen and scan the file she sent. After a long minute, Ozpin turned back to them and folded his hands.

"How credible is this information, James? You and I know how fast things change," said Ozpin.

Ironwood grimaced and let out a sigh.

"It's outdated. What you're looking at is two weeks old. Shadow told us that his capture more than likely made those cells change location," he answered back.

"Hmmm." Ozpin looked off the screen again. "What are you asking me?"

Winter took this as the time to stand up and speak for the general herself.

"Professor," she began after stepping out from the console and garnering his attention, "I'm requesting permission from you to have four of your best teams be tasked to us so we can search these hideouts. In addition to that, I would like to have Professor Port, Doctor Oobleck and Professor Blackburn to act as team leaders. I would be leading the fourth team myself. That way we will maintain security presence here in Vale."

She stood tall and proud. Her message was clear and confident and all she had to do was wait for him to give her the go ahead. And should he challenge her stance, she would defend it with everything she had.

"While that's a feasible plan Miss Schnee, I must ask, why do you feel it's important to search these locations? To my knowledge any time your team has received outdated intelligence, it has come up short when you had your teams search. What would make this time any different?" Asked Ozpin.

She felt the corner of her mouth twitch at the reminder of their searches coming up shorthanded, but the man had a point.

"Sir, with all due respect, I know this does not seem worth it in your eyes, but I can assure you it's of vital interest. Shadow told us that these spots in particular are stockpiling supplies that was stolen from the SDC. He said that there are White Fang locations all over each kingdom that are preparing for something big that would make the Breach look laughable, and I believe that these hideouts are a big part of that. If there's even the smallest chance we can intercept these cells if they have not abandoned these locations yet, it may bring us closer to exposing who Queen and Lotus are."

Ozpin's brow creased and he leaned forward on his desk.

"Is this personal to you, Miss Schnee?" He asked.

"Sir?" She tilted her head.

"Your father's company having its property stolen. Is this playing a role in your motivation to seek out these potential cells? I want to know that this is indeed a matter of continued operations and not a conflict of interest on your end."

She vehemently shook her head. This made Ozpin's eyes narrow a little as if he was trying to read her posture. Her quick denial may have set off an alarm in the old man's head, but if it did, he was quick to dismiss it.

"Very well. I will be willing to assign you some of my students, but there's one last thing I want to know before I do so," said Ozpin.

"Of course," she replied.

"You have requested Professor Blackburn to be one of your team leaders, yet he disregarded your orders and ours to ensure the last mission was a success. Are you confident with him leading a team of students in this mission and making the right decisions?"

"Yes, sir."

She wasn't sure why, but a knot formed in her stomach. It was not in regards to whether or not she wanted Blackburn on the mission, but with what she felt the headmaster was going to hit her with next.

"Even if it was your sister's team?" He lowered his hands.

Her eyes widened and she looked up at Ozpin. His face was stern, and she knew right there that he was dead serious with his question. It did not take her long to see where this was going. This would be the linchpin in his decision whether or not her suggestion was worth the trouble. He was going to bargain with her, but he would have the final say.

"Sir?" She broke the silence.

"Much like I asked you before with the SDC. I want to know if this will be a conflict of interest for you as well. Your sister's team along with teams CRDL, JNPR and CFVY are the ones I would task out to you, but I would not want you overseeing your sister's team."

"I…"

"Miss Schnee, your sister made the decision to choose this profession and I'm sure she knows the risks that come with it. If I were to let you watch her team, my concern would be that you may not be willing to take that step to ensure success in fear for bringing her harm."

"I… sir."

"If you agree to my terms I will grant you your request, but if you don't then I will have to deny it."

She cursed inwardly and felt her knuckles pop as her fists clenched tight.

Was it worth it to run the mission if it came at the cost of Weiss getting hurt? She was well aware of the potential her sister had and she was well skilled. She was impressed to hear that it was in fact her team that foiled Roman's plan during the Breach and it stood as a big mark for her budding resume as a Huntress.

The thought of Blackburn leading her team on the mission scared her. Having seen his aggressive approach and decision-making process, the last thing she wanted was for him to get her hurt, or even captured which would be something worse than death given her blood as a Schnee.

Could she truly trust him with a task like this?

"I need an answer, Miss Schnee," said Ozpin.

Her dry throat made her answer die when she gave it, prompting Ozpin to ask her again. Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and made eye contact with the headmaster again.

"I would trust Blackburn to watch over my sister and her team," she said as firmly as she could.

Ozpin leaned back in his chair and fell silent, not once taking his eyes off of her. He eventually cast his gaze to James and then nodded.

"Very well. James, you and Miss Schnee will have your assets available whenever you're ready to conduct the mission. I shall inform the desired teams and professors of the tasking," he said.

"Thank you, Oz," said Ironwood.

With that, the call ended and Ozpin vanished from the screen. In that second, Winter let out a shaky breath she barely realized she had been holding.

 _"What have I done?"_

She made a start for the console to change her mind, but stopped when she felt the firm hand of Ironwood on her shoulder. Her eyes met his and she could see a look of pride shining in them.

"I know that was a difficult decision for you, but you did well. As a leader you're going to make a lot of tough decisions in your career and a key part of the job is putting your trust in others," said Ironwood.

"I already regret making that one," she said with a shake of her head.

"It's done now. You and Blackburn may have different leadership styles, but something tells me he may surprise you."

She shook her head and took a deep breath.

 _"I hope you're right, sir. I would never forgive myself if something happened to Weiss."_

* * *

 **I don't know about all of you, but it's about time we get some action chapters in, so expect the next couple of chapters to have some fighting. That being said, I really am trying to keep up with those deadlines, and I know I've been failing meeting them. So here's the deal. I've made it a point to check my schedule for when I have drill to make sure that doesn't disrupt the flow. I'll try to stick with the two week update, but as of now, I'm giving myself some more time between chapters so I don't drop the ball. I owe it to you all for sticking by the story and supporting it. Check out the info below, and I'll see you next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next projected update is April 8th. Maybe sooner if I can sneak it in before drill.**

 **Story Shout Outs:**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 2/17/17**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Boyy2k: Thanks for the review. Well, sorry to break it to you, but Shadow and Blackburn aren't going to have any interactions from here on out.**

 **AG1193: Thank you for the review. That was just a taste of his music collection. He's got more that will come into play later.**

 **Dr . equinox: Thanks for the review. Uh, yeah, he got waterboarded. If that offends you, I'm not sorry.**

 **TopHatGuy: Yeah, we got an enhanced interrogation technique in place, but I'm not going to touch down on it much from here on out.**

 **wpago: I sent you a PM regarding your review, but otherwise I'm glad to know that the last chapter was more to your liking than the one before.**

 **Goldspark1: That would have been a little contradictory to give him a dagger for a weapon, solely because he has a combat knife in his small arsenal. While it's true it takes a lot of hits to bring Aura down in the show, in my eyes I kind of view this concept is flexible. When I say that, I'm making Aura in this story more susceptible to certain areas. Example being, say you have full Aura and you get hit in an otherwise very fatal spot like a headshot, the amount of Aura lost equates to the otherwise lethal attack. So it would be a near shattered state depending on the user and how much Aura they have. To add to your follow up on the ranged combat, he does have it down. He hit all of his targets, he just had a defective target that didn't go down for the full count in his match against Coco. Thank you very much for the continued reviews for the story.**

 **Guest: Winter's not nasty. She just has a unique sense of humor.**


	22. Patrol

**Let's do this.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

 _His eyes fluttered and opened with great difficulty. The stinging light penetrated his eyelids and made him wince and shift his head to dismiss it. The creeping darkness from the corners of his vision steadily faded and came back as he tried to regain his bearings._

 _Using his bodyweight, he managed to roll to his stomach and pressed his head against the pavement of the road. The constant ringing in his ears had his fists clenched in annoyance. There was movement around him, he could feel it. The endless stampede of footsteps and the distant cries that barely registered on his deafened state._

 _He finally pushed himself up and sat on his knees, opening his eyes once more to the area around him. What little his senses were able to pick up from before had given him an accurate picture of what he could expect. Chaos._

 _Dozens of figures dashed in and out of his sight, running around with no clear sense of direction. Panic was etched in the faces of every man, woman and child that he could see. Thick, black smoke rose into the air and blocked out the sun, casting a dark shadow over the houses surrounding him. What little light that peeked through the smoke from the sun was similar to a magnifying glass overlooking an anthill._

 _He bent over and hacked as the smoke swarmed his nostrils and his lungs. The itching and burning sensation that flooded him was too much. Thinking fast, he pulled the collar of his shirt up and over his nose and tried to breathe normally._

 _Blackburn then pushed off the ground and tried to find the fastest route out of the city. With everyone running around, it was difficult to tell which street led to. He cursed under his breath and did a quick check on his gear. When he did, he noticed something different._

 _Slung in front of him was not his old M4 or Mustang, but instead it was a semi-automatic dust powered rifle. His uniform was not that of the U.S. Army, but the Atlas Military._

 _"What the hell's going on?" He held the rifle and locked the bolt back._

 _Full magazine._

 _He dropped the magazine, reloaded the ejected round and loaded the magazine again, locking it into place. His watery eyes scanned the roads, but found no enemy or Grimm._

 _Time to move._

 _His feet began to carry him down the road after he chose to follow one group of panicked civilians to the east. Once his footing came back to him, he started to run. The sooner he got to the source, the more answers he would get._

 _He finally rounded another corner and just down the road he could see a fountain with Atlas soldiers surrounding it in a perimeter. The gunfire was much louder and each shot echoed in his ears the closer he got._

 _"Come on, move! Move!" One of the soldiers beckoned him over._

 _His mind was already a mile ahead of the order. The urgent tone spurred him into action like it had done in the past whenever he got into a firefight. His head swiveled around as he tried to find a good firing position, but there were no available spots._

 _"Hey, give me a SITREP!" He squatted by a nearby soldier._

 _"We have Grimm moving in from our left and right flanks! Lieutenant Schnee's leading a group of civilians here with third squad!" Shouted the sergeant._

 _"Roger! What's her ETA?"_

 _"Two minutes!"_

 _He clapped the man on his shoulder and tried to page Winter on his radio._

 _"Wildcat Actual, I just got inside the perimeter, what's your status? Over," he said._

 _Again, his mind immediately knew what Winter's call sign was without prior knowledge._

 _"We're coming in from the east! We will have a visual on you shortly! Over,"_

 _"How's your posture? Over."_

 _"We have four casualties! We're being swarmed on all sides!"_

 _He cursed under his breath and looked to the east. His hands fumbled around for binoculars, but there were none. He hurried over to the perimeter's edge and squinted. Far down the road he could see flashes from rifles and hear the distant yells of the soldiers._

 _His radio crackled again._

 _"Wildcat Actual, Wolverine Actual, come in, over!" A man's voice hollered._

 _"Go ahead, Wolverine Actual!" Winter answered back._

 _"We can't hold the southern gate anymore! My platoon's taken heavy casualties! We need backup right the fuck now! Over!"_

 _Blackburn's fists clenched and he did another scan of the area. The east and west were filled with Grimm and civilians. The northern end of the perimeter was starting to see more activity as the machine gun roared to life. To the south, it was virtually clear._

 _Wolverine Actual was holding the rear and if he did not get his back up, their perimeter would be overrun quick. They had to hold that gate._

 _"Wolverine Actual, I will be there with Wildcat-Three shortly! Can you hold on a little longer?" Winter replied._

 _The response was quick and more frantic than before._

 _"Negative! Negative!" There was a short pause. "Barnes, shift the MG right! We got a Goliath coming in! Move! Move!"_

 _Blackburn blinked and tried to remember what the Goliath was. He had read on countless Grimm from one of the books that Glynda had given him, but he was struggling to remember which one it was. All he knew was that it was a force to be reckoned with if it could gain that much panic_

 _"Wildcat Actual, Wildcat-Two, requesting permission to assist Wolverine Actual, over," said Blackburn._

 _Winter's response cut in and out and he shook his head. There was no time to wait. He had to make a decision now. With his mind made up, he moved to the southern edge of the perimeter and tapped one the heavy gunner's on the shoulder._

 _"You and your buddy are with me!" He yelled._

 _The soldier nodded back and stood up with is assistant gunner slinging the belt of ammo over his shoulder._

 _"You three cover down!" He barked over at the soldiers to his left._

 _The three soldiers shifted from their spots and took defensive positions behind whatever cover they could find, setting up sectors of fire as they did so._

 _"Wildcat Actual, Wildcat-Two, be advised, I am moving with a gun team to reinforce Wolverine Actual at the gate! Over," said Blackburn._

 _He ran out of the perimeter with the gun team behind him. Their footsteps were heavy as they raced toward the gate to help. His ears could pick up the rattle of the belt ammo as it jingled behind him._

 _"Wildcat-Two, wait for Wildcat-Three! Over!" Winter said._

 _"Send Wildcat-Three when you get to the perimeter, over!" Blackburn answered back._

 _"Wildcat-Two…"_

 _Blackburn rolled his eyes and was ready to let his retort fly, but the words that came out of his mouth were not his own._

 _"Winter, we have to hold that perimeter to get everyone out! I'll reinforce Wolverine Actual at the gate and break contact when the evac gets here! Out!"_

 _He let his hand drop from his radio and he blinked with a shake of his head._

 _"Let's move! Let's really move!" He said to the gun team._

 _The three of them began an all-out dash for the gate. Winter's voice came through again, but it was lost in the static._

Blackburn's eyes snapped open and his chest rose and fell with quick breaths. He was back in his room. The moonlight still shining through his window. No screams of panic. No burning buildings. No Grimm. Just silence that was broken by the gentle snores of Zwei as he slept beside him.

He was no stranger to dreams like that. Ever since his first deployment he had recurring nightmares about past firefights he had been in. It was almost like a continuous loop when he had one. He would have the dream, then wake up in a cold sweat. One night after the next until he had seen them all, then they would vanish like a ghost. Sometimes it would be for a couple of days, and if he was lucky, it would be a couple of weeks or a month before they would return.

His fingertips lightly rubbed his eyes and a shudder went down his spine. This was a new dream, but it was too vivid. Almost like another memory. He shook his head and took a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth. In and out. In and out.

Was it possible?

He broke from his thoughts after a buzz came from his scroll. His hand reached for it and he brought it in front of his eyes to see the message that was awaiting him. His curiosity grew when he saw that it was from Ozpin.

He swiped the screen and entered the voicemail to listen.

"Good evening, Mister Blackburn. I am calling to inform you that you have been selected to act as a supervisor for an upcoming mission. The mission will be briefed by Lieutenant Schnee and General Ironwood once they've made their final preparations. If you need to make any preparations, the school armory is open. I wish you luck."

The message ended and he exited from the voicemail.

Ozpin's decision to include him on the mission had come as a surprise, especially after how he handled the last one. His disregard for Winter's orders along with his and Ironwood's guidance had left them disappointed in him. For them to put him back on mission duty, it had to be for something important.

He would find out for himself soon enough.

He rubbed his eyes again and looked at the time. Now that he was wide awake and hesitant to fall asleep, he decided to get up and make a quick breakfast before his morning training with Winter.

* * *

Blackburn staggered back after barely blocking another strike from Winter's blade. His shoulders rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat trickled down his face and stung at the corners of his eyes. His teeth clenched together as he gripped his blade with both hands, the muscles in his arms screaming for reprieve.

Winter's training had been brutal from start to finish for each session they had with him using Mustang in its blade form. Every strike, every parry, every block, every step was watched with a critical eye and any misstep resulted in a counter from the sharp lieutenant. Today seemed different than normal, though. She was more aggressive than usual, not allowing him a chance to recover like she usually did. Her words of critique were not much better.

"You were too slow with that last strike! If I was an enemy, I would have run you through!" She marched up to him.

Blackburn grimaced and stood upright, letting Mustang rest by his side to relieve his arms from the ache. He held back a retort and rolled his shoulders as he waited for Winter to step back again to resume the exercise. His eyes met her piercing blue ones and could see the familiar edge in them.

They lost their sharpness a second later as Winter sighed and sheathed her blade.

"Get back in your stance," said Winter.

He did as he was told and held the hilt with both hands and stepped forward with his right foot, his left just shoulder length apart and trailing behind the other. Winter walked around to his back and he tensed in anticipation for what she would do. He felt her grab his rear leg and lifted it up to help her guide it into a more comfortable position. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end when she stood up and got close to his back.

Her hands moved to his arms and she guided them to the correct spot like she did with his leg.

"Remember, balance is key, and your arms must be relaxed," said Winter. "I could feel your arms shaking when you were holding your sword. Even if your muscles are exhausted, you can still hold your blade steady if you do it right."

He only nodded at her words, doing his best to ignore the feeling of her hands on him. It was weird for her to take an approach like that. Normally she would correct him from her spot after she ended the exercise. Perhaps she was tired of doing so and wanted to get faster results? It made sense.

"Walk me through it," said Winter.

"What?" His eyes shifted to look at her over his shoulder.

"Walk me through the movements."

"Right now?"

"Yes. Did I stutter?"

He blinked and shook his head.

"Good. Now, move."

Blackburn stepped forward and swung Mustang, all the while with Winter's hands still on him following his movement for the smallest mistake. He pushed her presence aside, but it came right back when he swung down and she pressed into him.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

"What's wrong? You're doing fine, so keep moving," said Winter.

"It feels too weird with you holding on to me."

Winter rose a brow and leaned back, giving him an odd look.

"This will help me correct you. How is this weird?" She asked.

Blackburn grimaced and let out a sigh.

"I've got my reasons," he said.

Winter rolled her eyes and pulled away from him with her hands up. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as she waited for him to continue. He let out a breath through his nose and stepped forward with another swing.

A sharp flare went through his hand and up his arm. He let out a hiss and felt Mustang slip from his grasp and ring as it landed on the floor. His hand clutched at his left forearm as it pulsed violently and gently nursed it with a massage.

"Do you know what happened?" Winter asked as she walked up to him again.

He shook his head and winced as his muscles flared again. Winter was not lying about a sword being difficult to wield. They were heavy and worked muscles he didn't even know existed. His hands were developing thick calluses from constant practices and were tender to the touch. The smallest movement was enough to bring discomfort.

"I didn't swing my blade right," he replied.

"Correct. You gripped it too hard and moved with your arms. Your hips and back need to move with your swing," said Winter.

Blackburn bent and picked Mustang off the floor, his hands stung with pain upon doing so.

"I believe that's enough for today. You need to be at full strength for the mission tomorrow," said Winter.

He nodded and flipped the switch on Mustang to shift it back to its rifle form and slung it over his shoulder. Winter made her way over to the bench and picked up her water bottle. He watched her take a long drink and wipe the sweat from her face.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" He spoke up.

Winter nodded back after swallowing the water in her mouth.

"What drug deal did you have to make in order to let me go on this mission?" He asked.

Winter gawked at him after he asked his question.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked back.

"It's a phrase where I come from in the military. When we said 'drug deal,' it usually meant going around chain of command to get something or someone we needed," he quickly cleared the air.

He watched Winter sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose, having now been exposed to a new slang term.

"I see…" said Winter as she lowered her hand. "Well, I did not have to do much to let Ozpin task you out to me, but it did come at price."

"Which was?" He asked again.

Winter firmly shook her head and her eyes hardened. He'd been around her long enough to know when to let up and stop pestering before she got angry.

"That's none of your concern. It's done, and right now that's all that matters," said Winter.

The woman had no sense of humor at the moment, either. He held up his hands and let out a sigh. No point in asking anything else if she was being curt with him.

"I'm sorry," said Winter, getting his attention.

He cast his eyes over to the lieutenant to see her staring back at him. There was a frown on her face. It wasn't one of anger, but disappointment. Whether it was towards him or herself was another story.

"For what?" He wiped the towel across his face.

"For today," she answered back. "I'm sure you noticed that I've been short with you and more aggressive than normal."

He almost rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it. Now was not the time to be a smart ass. Winter was clearly troubled by something, and this was her trying to express herself.

"You want to talk about it? I told you that you could talk to me about anything," he said with a cross of his arms.

Winter bit her lip and nodded. She motioned for him to take a seat and he complied. She sat down beside him a second later and leaned forward. Her eyes looked down at the floor and she remained silent.

Blackburn patiently waited for her to speak again and got his wish.

"I requested you personally to help me with this mission tomorrow, but Ozpin wouldn't let me take you unless I agreed to his terms," Winter began.

He did not say anything and lightly scratched the stubble under his chin. Since Ozpin and Ironwood barred him from missions due to his actions on the last one, he was curious to what Ozpin made Winter agree to.

"The only way Ozpin would let you go was if I willingly put my trust into having you supervise one of the teams in particular," she continued.

"Okay?" He answered back, not completely sure where she was going.

Winter finally turned her eyes back to him. Her face had softened from its pensive state.

"It's my sister's team," she said.

"Oh…" He turned his gaze to the floor.

An awkward silence fell between them.

Now all of her actions from their training session made sense. It was a mixture of frustration towards Ozpin forcing her hand, and towards him not meeting the expectations she had in place for him to do this job. In a way he could not blame her, but he was also sore with her way of handling the issue as a whole. It was one thing to be mad, but that was no reason to take it out on another soldier.

His finger lightly tapped the top of his leg in a quick tempo as he mulled over what the woman beside him said.

"Well, why did you agree to Ozpin's terms?" He asked. "I mean, there's others that would make better choices than me."

Winter shook her head and kept her eyes locked with his.

"No, there wasn't," said Winter, "I need your help. With this operation there's only a handful of people that I would trust to partake in it. Given your experience, you were my best choice."

Blackburn stared back at Winter in mild disbelief. He would not have expected her to confess what she did. Weeks ago she would not have trusted him to hold her lunch, now here she was telling him that the real reason the mission was even happening was because she swallowed her pride to put trust in him. She had faith in him to lead her sister's team in the mission, and for her to let him do that only spoke how far she had come since they first met.

"Are you being honest with me?" He asked.

Winter offered him a sharp look, but he did not flinch. It was a question that he wanted answered regardless if it was critical towards him.

"No. I only agreed to the terms because Ozpin wouldn't have let the mission happen, otherwise. I almost called him back after I agreed to it to call it off," she said.

"So, why didn't you?" Blackburn narrowed his eyes. "You're clearly doubting this whole thing."

"Because I had limited options! And to go off what you told me before we had that first mission together, sometimes risks have to be taken!"

He matched her glare with his own.

"I was terrified to agree because I've seen how you approach things in the field," she continued, "I didn't want Weiss to suffer because of a hasty decision you may have made!"

Blackburn said nothing, but felt his fists clench at the harsh words from the woman in front of him. His knuckles cracked from the stress and he got to his feet. He wanted nothing more than to yell at her and say that she was wrong, but it would not change anything.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down.

"Look, you and I approach things differently as soldiers, that's true," he said before looking back at Winter, "but give me some fucking credit. I didn't get this far by being a shitbag."

He picked Mustang up and grabbed his towel. He turned on his heel and left the room, not willing to spare Winter a glance. If she made to stop him, he didn't see it.

* * *

Blackburn arrived in Ozpin's office early and had been waiting for the teams to arrive. He had stocked up in the armory the day before after his training with Winter. He did not stray far from his military training when preparing for the mission by following the combat load that Lieutenant Coen set up, but made some modifications to it. His helmet was tucked under his arm, his night vision goggles were in his bag along with some snacks, water, baby wipes and a light blanket. His MOLLE vest had his ammo pouches secured along with his compass and his ear protection. He was unable to use his IBA after Fox destroyed it, but felt it was for the best.

His loadout caught the attention of both Professors Oobleck and Port who took time in observing it.

"That doesn't look comfortable, my boy!" Port puffed out his chest.

"Believe it or not, it could be worse," said Blackburn. "This is nothing compared to some of the other things I could be carrying right now. Me and my buddies would have to carry over one hundred pounds of this crap through the desert for days on end."

"Why?"

"Grunts like me lived out in the field. We'd get back to a FOB once in a while to rest and clean up, but we'd go right back out soon after. You get used to it."

"Whatever makes you comfortable, I suppose."

"Exactly."

Their attention was drawn to the elevators on the other end of the office. The doors opened and Glynda stepped out with Winter and Ironwood in tow. She led them to Ozpin's desk and soon went to stand by the headmaster who was calmly sipping on a mug of coffee.

Winter and Ironwood stood off to the side and silently waited for their desired teams to arrive. Every now and then, Blackburn would catch Winter's eyes on him, but they would soon look away the second he went to look back at her. It was as if she was trying to avoid him for the time being.

The elevator chimed once more and the doors opened. Teams RWBY, CRDL and JNPR filed into the room, looking relieved after being cramped inside the tight fit. They stood before Ozpin's desk in a neat row and he greeted them all with a nod.

"Where is Miss Adel?" Glynda asked, her gaze sweeping the row.

"They're coming up now, Professor," said Weiss.

The bespectacled witch nodded and her eyes went to the elevator again. Meanwhile, Weiss' eyes immediately snapped to her sister who stood off to the side. Her face was visibly brighter than before and the smile on her face could be seen from space. She was visibly excited at seeing her older sister.

Blackburn's eyes darted between the two sisters. He had yet to see Winter make eye contact with her younger sibling, but guessed it had to do with professionalism. There was a time and place to show emotion, and unfortunately for Weiss, it was not that time.

Team CFVY strode into the room and stood beside RWBY. Coco looked in his general direction and offered him a cocky smirk and a nod. He raised two fingers in a small wave back to her.

"Now that we're all here, I will turn it over to General Ironwood and Lieutenant Schnee so they can brief you on the mission," said Ozpin.

Ironwood straightened his tie and stepped forth with Winter to his left.

"Since time is against us, I will try to give you the bottom line up front as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have questions, I will ask you to direct them to your team supervisors while en route to your locations. Is that understood?" Said Ironwood.

He received a collection of nods from the students who remained silent.

"As you have probably heard, crime in Vale has gone down significantly since The Breach, and while that is a good thing, it's also unsettling. We have been tracking the movements of White Fang cells outside the city of Vale that may have a hand in an upcoming attack that we expect could take place during the Vytal Festival," said Ironwood.

Save for Team CFVY, the eyes of the other students narrowed or widened at the general's words. The new knowledge that was presented to them was cause for concern, especially with a major event coming up. The possibility of another large scale incident taking place during the Vytal Festival would make The Breach look tame.

Blake raised her hand, but quickly let it fall upon a nudge from Weiss. She shot the heiress a nasty look, but her gaze returned to the general a second later.

"Our latest reports from a courier that the White Fang was using shows that there are four locations throughout Vale that our analysts have labeled as high-value targets to search," Ironwood continued.

He then motioned for Winter to step forward. When Winter stood in front of them, she brought up the large monitor from Ozpin's desk and clicked on the image she had sent him. The map filled the entirety of the screen and showed four marked sections throughout Vale in different colors. One brown, two red, and one purple. Each color representing the locations that each team would be assigned to search and confirm or deny any evidence that Shadow gave them.

"The four locations here are spread out, so we need to cover a lot of ground fast. Normally we would use our own SOF teams, but since we were tasked with security of Vale, we can't afford dividing our manpower. That is where you come in," said Winter turning to them.

She then pointed to each location, explaining that the colored circle indicated each team's AO.

"Your teams were considered the most promising by Ozpin which is why you will be partaking in this mission. You will all be assigned one guide to act as the team's supervisor that you are to listen to. Is that understood?" Said Winter.

Her response was another round of silent nods.

"Before I assign you to your supervisors, I want to reiterate the mission one last time," Winter continued. "Your job is to search these locations for any evidence of White Fang activity and any stolen property from the SDC. Should you find anything, you are to contact our headquarters unit here in Vale immediately so that it can be repossessed and transported safely. If not, contact headquarters and we will send a Bullhead to extract you and bring you back to Beacon."

"Sounds like a plan," said Coco folding her arms.

Winter locked eyes with the brunette for a moment and then looked towards Blackburn, Port and Oobleck. Her eyes lingered on Blackburn before turning to look at the piece of paper in her hand.

"Once I assign your supervisors, I want you to get with them and pack accordingly for your mission. Some of you may be gone for a couple of days, so only take what is necessary," said Winter. "Team CRDL will be paired with Professor Port. Team JNPR will be with Professor Oobleck."

"Doctor!" Oobleck interjected, pushing up his glasses.

Winter actually broke from her stony state and offered the man a lazy look that said, "Really?" Only to get a firm nod in return, to which she held up a hand to correct herself for future reference. All the while missing Team CRDL exchange looks about being paired with Port.

"Moving on…" Winter looked back at her paper. "Team CFVY will be assigned to me."

She ignored the overdramatic groan from Coco and then looked between Blackburn and Team RWBY.

"And Team RWBY will be paired with Professor Blackburn."

Ruby turned to the young professor and beamed broadly at being paired with her friend. The rest of her teammates did not look fussed about the choice, save for Weiss who only frowned at not being paired with Winter.

"I want all of you to be at the landing zone in an hour for transportation. Get moving," said Winter.

Teams CRDL and JNPR filed into the elevator with Professor Port and Professor Oobleck and disappeared from sight. The second they left, Weiss used the time to break free from her team and hurried over to Winter. She had visibly perked up as she stood before her, the smile was back on her face, albeit a sheepish one.

"Winter, it's good to see you," said Weiss, giving a light bow.

Winter looked down at Weiss with a rare smile.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"Oh, splendid! Thank you for asking. I'm actually ranked at the top of our sparring class, and…" Weiss began to answer, but was cut off by a hard smack to the top of her head.

Winter retracted her head, brow creased in a small glare and her tone was harsher than before.

"Silence, you boob!" Winter replied. "I don't recall asking about your ranking. I asked how you've been. Are you eating properly? Are you developing any hobbies? Have you made any friends?"

Blackburn blinked owlishly at Winter's quick one-eighty from being a harsh to loving older sister. Almost like a light switch. He watched Weiss perk up again and glance back at her team. As if on cue, Ruby hurried forward with a bright smile and stood beside Weiss. Blake and Yang stood behind the pair of them and awaited the heiress' introduction.

"Well, this is my partner, Ruby," Weiss held a hand out to the cape wearing girl.

"Hi!" Ruby waved, the smile never faltering.

Winter's eyes fell on her and looked her up and down closely as if trying to note any deficiency with the bubbly leader. She then turned her eyes to Blake and Yang.

"Hello," said Blake with a small nod.

"Sup?" Yang gave Winter a two fingered wave. "So, you're Weiss-Cream's older sister, eh?"

Winter's eyes narrowed a bit at Yang's nickname for Weiss, but quickly softened. She let a smile spread across her face and nodded at the blonde

"And this is Blake and Yang," Weiss said, motioning the two of them.

"Well, it seems you've made progress since coming to Beacon," said Winter. "I trust you and your friends can hold your own to carry out this mission since you were recommended to me?"

Weiss finished rubbing the spot on her head Winter smacked her on earlier and smiled, regaining her composure.

"Naturally," she answered back.

"Good. Then I expect perfection from your team under Professor Blackburn's leadership," said Winter.

"Of course."

Blackburn trudged up to the group, garnering their attention.

"We need to get ready for the mission, so I want the four of you to get packed. No combat skirts or heels, either. Wear something appropriate for hiking," he said.

Ruby's face visibly fell and she muttered something about her combat skirt being just fine. Yang merely rolled her eyes playfully. Blake silently nodded, and Weiss frowned a little.

"Winter, I…" Weiss spoke up, but was stopped when Winter held up a hand.

"He's right, Weiss. We're short on time. I know we haven't spoken in a while, but after this mission is done, we can spend a day to catch up," said Winter.

"Really?"

"I have a lot of leave days saved up, so I can spare one to bond with you."

Weiss' frown was quick to vanish and she smiled up at her sister, getting one in return. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Winter and hugged her tight. The smile on Winter's face grew as she, too, wrapped Weiss in a hug.

She lowered her head and whispered something to Weiss, getting muffled reply from the younger Schnee.

"Run along, now. We need to leave shortly," said Winter.

"Roger!" Ruby saluted Winter.

Blackburn led Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang to the elevator and stepped inside when the doors opened. He felt his neck crane as he got ready to spare a look at Winter, but stopped himself. He had no desire to see the look on her face. There was no doubt in his mind that it was one of worry as she watched him leave.

When the doors closed behind them and the elevator gave a lurch to begin its descent, he let out a sigh and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

This mission did not just serve as a challenge for him by acting as a team leader for the first time in his life, but it was also a test. It was his test to see if everything Sergeant Carlson told him he saw in him as a potential NCO was true and if he was really befitting of the rank. It also served as the chance to prove Winter she was wrong about him.

However, there was a nagging fact at the back of his head that grew with each floor the elevator passed. This was his first time truly leading his own team and to make the calls with their lives in his hands. He could not make a mistake or get careless.

 _"I can do this."_

He opened his eyes and his gaze swept the four girls that stood in front of him. It may have been his imagination, but he could have sworn he saw the members of his fire team in their place. Busch, Harvick, Carlson, and McDermott had their backs to him as if waiting to be ordered to move.

He blinked again, but his former teammates were gone as soon as they had come. Ruby was bouncing on her heels in excitement. Yang was rolling her shoulders to loosen up. Blake was buried in one of her books, and Weiss was fixing the wrinkles in her jacket.

The elevator stopped and a light ping met his ears. The doors opened wide and they filed out of the cramped lift.

"Remember what I said. Dress accordingly and pack only the necessary equipment. I'll see you and the landing zone," said Blackburn.

"Sheesh, we got it! Relax, Professor," Yang said with a wave of her hand.

"Good. Because if you screw up and you don't have something that can help you out there, I'll just laugh."

He broke from the team and began his march back to his office. There was still one thing he needed to bring.

* * *

Blackburn felt the wind blow violently around him on the open tarmac as he waited for Team RWBY to arrive. Professor Port and Professor Oobleck had already departed with CRDL and JNPR to their respective operating areas. Now it was just him and Winter waiting with Team CFVY.

His fingers gently spun the rubber ball in his hand and he wound his arm back. The ball flew across the landing zone and bounced away, but it was soon gobbled up by a small, grey and white ball of fur. Zwei happily chewed on the ball after he caught it and trotted back up to him. He grinned at the dog and knelt to pet him.

"Good boy! Who's a good, puppy? Yes, you are!" He said in a baby-talk manner.

"What on earth are you doing?" Winter asked him.

"Oh, well, it's this new thing called playing. I heard it's supposed to be fun and a good way to pass time."

"I'm going to ignore that remark. I meant why you are talking like that."

He stood up after Zwei dropped the ball in his hand and scampered back, not taking his eyes off of the slobbery toy.

"That's the way a lot of people talk to dogs. Haven't you ever been around one?" He replied, throwing the ball again.

"My father does not like animals, so we had no pets growing up. This dog here is the first one I've really spent time with," she said.

"Sucks to be you."

He could almost feel her eyes bearing into the back of his skull, but did not turn to face her. He scratched Zwei's head when he stopped before him and plopped down to catch his breath after the little game.

"Ah, Zwei!" Ruby's voice met his ears.

Blackburn turned and he did a quick inspection of the four girls. Each of them were wearing pants, tennis shoes and various tops to best accommodate for the weather and terrain they would encounter on the mission. They each had a decent sized backpack with them that had a sleeping bag along with some extra clothes to change into, and some food.

Zwei was being held by Ruby and he was pelting her with endless kisses at being reunited with her for the first time in a while. Even Weiss was codling the dog, mimicking the baby-talk he did earlier much to the bewilderment of Winter.

"Hey, are we leaving or not?" Coco's voice reached them.

"Yes. Get on the Bullhead," said Winter.

Coco nodded and led Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi into their Bullhead.

"That goes for you as well. Get on," Blackburn said to his team.

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang walked up the ramp of the second Bullhead and out of sight. Once they were on board, Blackburn made his way to the ship, but stopped cold when he felt a hand grab hold of his.

"I'm not going to tell you how to carry out your mission. You can call the shots as you please. All I ask is that you keep an eye on Weiss. Can you at least promise me that?" Said Winter.

Blackburn stayed silent and let her words circle his mind. Her tone was void of any hostility. In fact, it almost sounded as if she were pleading with him. She had done well to keep her emotions under wraps through the briefing and team assignments earlier, only now letting them come into light.

He would not make promises, lest he wish to flirt with Murphy's Law. Instead he offered her his own subtle agreement. The leather of his glove tightened when he gave Winter's hand a firm and reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you," she said letting his hand fall.

Winter's footsteps clicked across the landing zone and were soon swallowed by the engine of the Bullhead as it fired up. A gust of wind shot across the tarmac as her Bullhead took to the air and began following its destined heading.

He moved forward and up the ramp of the Bullhead. His footsteps echoed once he set foot in the cabin and the ramp shut behind him with a hiss.

"Last second pep talk there, Professor?" Yang smirked at him.

"You could say that," he answered her not missing a beat.

He took the empty seat closest to the cockpit and let his legs stretch out with a low groan. The seat beside him shifted and he could see Zwei snuggled up beside him, his eyes drooping as sleep began to take him.

His eyes stole a glance at his watch. Their flight was the longest one out of all the teams. They had five hours before they reached their insertion point which put them at a midnight hit time.

"Hey, we got a long flight, so try and get some sleep. Once we hit the ground, we go to work," said Blackburn.

"Don't need to tell me twice," said Yang with a yawn.

The blonde stretched out like a cat and shuffled in her seat to get comfortable before closing her eyes. Light snores came from her almost a minute after doing so.

"Why are we moving at night?" Weiss asked him.

He looked at the girl and saw the curious look in her eyes.

"Because we got the cover of darkness and there will be less chance of running into any patrols," said Blackburn.

"But Faunus have night vision. They'll be able to see us regardless if we're using darkness."

Blackburn offered her a small smile.

"Trust me. We'll be fine," he said.

Weiss sighed with a shake of her head and leaned back in her seat, following Yang's lead and closing her eyes. Ruby's head was tilted to the side and some drool trickled out of the corner of her mouth as she slept soundly. Blake was still reading her book, but he did not tell her off. She would eventually get some sleep before the start of the mission.

He set the alarm to his watch to wake him up forty-five minutes before their ETA. It would give him more than enough time to go over his plan once more and make adjustments if he felt it was necessary.

He plugged his earphones into his scroll and pressed the play button to let the instrumental of Van Halen's "Respect the Wind" lull him to sleep.

* * *

The alarm on Blackburn's watch came soon, but he was quick to respond to its call. He moved without missing a step and quickly found himself back in his element. His eyes scrounged the map that Winter had given him and flicked between it and the notebook in his hand. Every detail that was pertinent to him was etched in his brain and grew more prominent with each read.

He tucked the map back under his MOLLE vest and his notebook back in his bag. After taking another look at his watch, he picked up Mustang and did a functions check and loaded one magazine. Upon locking it in place and charging back the handle, the co-pilot's head poked back to speak with him.

"Hey, wake up your team. We're five minutes out."

"Got it," said Blackburn.

He stood up with a long stretch and with a roll of his neck and shoulders, got them to pop. His eyes found each girl sleeping soundly.

"Rise and shine, ladies! On your feet!" He hollered.

A couple of groans came from Ruby and Yang as they turned in their seats. Their eyes slowly cracked open to look at him before they each gave a long stretch to loosen up. Blake and Weiss were livelier than their teammates and were standing up to stretch and jostle themselves awake.

"Hope you got some sleep. We got a bit of a hike," said Blackburn.

"How long are we talking?" Yang yawned as she got to her feet.

"Twenty miles."

Her eyes snapped open and a grimace formed on her face.

"Seriously? Wouldn't it just be easier to drop us closer to the hideout?" She folded her arms.

"Not without being compromised. We want to keep the initiative for as long as possible. You got an issue with it, take it up with Winter," said Blackburn.

"That went in one ear and out the other, Professor. I don't speak soldier."

Weiss rolled her eyes and sent a sharp look at Yang.

"It means we want to keep control and surprise on our end," said Weiss.

"He could've just said that," Yang retorted with wave of her hand.

The Bullhead began to slow down and the engines hummed loudly as it hovered in place. The red light in the bay turned green and the ramp opened to reveal the night sky. Below them was a small clearing surrounded by towering trees.

"All right, time to go!" Ruby beamed.

"Hope you got a good landing strategy, Professor," said Yang.

Blackburn looked at the blonde and was about to ask for further explanation, but his eyes widened in surprise when Ruby and Yang both jumped out of the bay. Blake and Weiss followed suit and he hurried to the ramp and looked down to see the four of them standing back to back in the clearing below.

"You jumping or not?" The pilot called back to him.

He bit his lip and shook his head. This was a stupid idea, but there was no way the Bullhead would go any lower. After a quick prayer, he stepped off the ramp and fell. His stomach dropped fast and was soon in his throat. The ground grew closer and closer.

He tucked in his legs just a bit and hit the ground. Instead of feeling surging pain of broken legs, he felt a hard slam and he stumbled forward. His arms quickly drew Mustang and he held it high and scanned his sectors.

His radio sparked to life a second later.

"Overlord, Vulture-Two. Be advised, we have reached the assembly area and have dropped off the strike team. We are RTB, over," said the pilot.

"Roger that, Vulture-Two. Return to base. Out," Overlord answered back.

The Bullhead's engines fired up again and took off. All that could be seen in the dark sky was a blinking red light that grew smaller by the second.

"So, where do we go from here?" Ruby asked rocking on her the balls of her feet.

Blackburn slung Mustang after doing one last sweep and fished his compass out. He watched the dial spin wildly before settling down. Their heading was behind him and he turned on his heel to line up his azimuth.

"We're bearing two-seventy. Distance, thirty-two klicks," said Blackburn before tucking his compass away.

"Again, over the head there." Yang chirped.

"Bottom line, we got a long ass walk. Hope your feet are up for it."

"Language!" Ruby pointed a finger at him.

Blackburn smirked and pulled out his night vision goggles from his bag. It took him a minute to fasten it to the rhino mount on his helmet, but once it was set, he pulled them down and turned them on. Slowly, green filled his vision.

"I want you all to maintain noise and light discipline from here on out," said Blackburn.

"That means to stay quiet and not use your scroll," Weiss said to Yang.

"No, really?" Yang rolled her eyes.

"Focus. We're headin' that way in a file. Keep fifteen meters for spacing, and keep your heads on a swivel," said Blackburn.

Blake looked in the direction he pointed and nodded at his words. She silently began her trek to take point and kept moving. One by one, they followed her. Ruby was behind Blake, Blackburn behind Ruby, Weiss behind him with Yang bringing up the rear.

Blackburn's hand reached for his radio.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual. Be advised, we are stepping off from our assembly area, bearing two-seven-zero to our northeast, break. We are maintaining noise discipline and will radio upon reaching designated phase lines, taking contact and SITREPs as needed. How copy? Over," he said.

The response was fast.

"Roger, Stalker Actual. Check in when you've stopped movement and when you set up your patrol base. Good hunting. Out." Overlord replied.

He took his hand off his radio and rested it on Mustang again and returned his eyes front. Through his goggles he could see Blake and Ruby keeping pace, all the while looking through the trees with whatever moonlight that managed to poke through the clouds. It was quiet and there was no sign of disturbed terrain.

His head turned back to look at Weiss and Yang. The younger Schnee was stepping over a downed tree, a look of disgruntlement marred her face. Yang, however, looked excited as she took the liberty of doing a flip over the tree when she came to it, the grin never leaving her.

There truly was a difference from looking at a map and seeing the terrain for itself. The map offered a visual of the terrain and showed where every hill, swamp, cliff, draw, spur, valley, and slope, but it was only as good as the issued date. In this case, the map had been kind and been spot on with the route they had planned, but the terrain was terrible.

The thick trees made it difficult to keep eyes on each other and it required their movement to slow down. There were numerous downed trees and thorn bushes that forced them to push through, cutting through their clothes and getting stuck in their skin.

It got progressively worse when trying to climb the hills. The slopes were deep and made the climbs brutal. They had to use their hands to hang on at points and even pull each other up on whatever flat ground they could find on their trek. The only solace that came was going down each hill they passed, giving them much needed reprieve, if they weren't slipping and skipping down to keep from tumbling to the bottom.

The sky overhead began to give way from black to orange as sunrise came on the horizon. Birds chirped as they roused from their slumber, their flapping wings sounded from above when they took from their nest to hunt. Squirrels hopped and bounded around them, sometimes scampering back up the trees when they got close. There was even some deer that paused from their grazing and watched them with curiosity.

Blackburn brought his canteen down from his mouth and smacked his lips as the crisp water soothed his throat. He let out a shiver as the damp, cool sweat was graced with a gentle breeze. He had long sense turned off his night vision goggles and pushed them up to give his eyes rest and time to adjust back to the natural light.

He looked down at his watch and stopped the group. They had made decent time with their patrol through the woods and his pace count had been spot on with each of their checkpoints he made on the map.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual. We just crossed Phase Line Reeses and are getting ready to set up our patrol base. Over," said Blackburn.

"Roger, Stalker Actual. Confirmed, crossed Phase Line Reeses to set up patrol base. Out," said Overlord.

Blackburn looked up at the hill in front of them. Just another obstacle to climb, but for now, it was time for a much needed rest. He could see that the girls were exhausted. Their faces were flushed, strands of hair stuck to them, and sweat glistened on their foreheads.

"Okay, drop your gear. We're going to rest for a while and continue moving later," said Blackburn.

The second the words left his mouth, Yang dropped her bag with a loud thump and fell to the forest floor on her back with a groan. Blake silently rested her bag against a nearby tree and sat at its base to close her eyes. Gravity had pulled Ruby and Weiss to the ground, sitting on the forest floor with their heads hung.

"That was the worst," said Yang.

"Suck it up. We still got a ways to go. This'll give you time to rest your feet," said Blackburn.

"Whatever."

Yang sat up and pulled off her boots to let her feet breathe. She brought one up and pulled off her sock to take a look and frowned when she traced it with her fingertips. Her face scrunched up in discomfort when she did so.

"Stupid blisters," she mumbled.

Blackburn dropped his bag in the center of their established perimeter and stretched his arms out wide. He pulled off his helmet and set it on top of his bag.

"Drink some water, eat something, and take care of your feet," he said.

"What are you going to do?" Weiss looked to him.

"Zwei and I will watch the perimeter while you take care of each other. Once you've all done what I told you, we'll set up a sleep plan and take turns getting some rest."

Weiss nodded and shrugged her shoulders to slip her bag off. She, too, pulled off her boots and socks to check her feet, soon moving to help Ruby.

When he saw the four of them helping each other, he whistled to Zwei and the corgi ran to him. He held Mustang again and walked off to do a patrol of the surrounding area.

* * *

 **All I can say to this way late update is that shit happens, both good and bad. Good- promotion to 1st Lieutenant, becoming eligible for much deserved paid vacation. Bad- getting robbed (lost credit cards/Drivers License/etc.), dealing with credit companies, split AT, you get the idea. Managed to get this done, so better late than never.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) I'm just going to stop giving update expectations. They'll come when they come.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **AA: Assembly Area**

 **AO: Area of Operations**

 **Drug Deal: When personnel or material are obtained through unofficial channels**

 **Call-Sign: Used for radio etiquette and to identify units.**

 **ETA: Estimated time of arrival**

 **FOB: Forward Operating Base**

 **Hit Time: The time at which something is to take place**

 **High-Value Target: An asset that the enemy commander needs in order to ensure success of his mission.**

 **IBA: Interceptor Body Armor (Bulletproof plated vest)**

 **Klick: Distance of measurement, distance of 1000 meters.**

 **MG: Machine Gun**

 **MOLLE: Modular Light Load-Carrying Equipment**

 **NCO: Non-commissioned Officer**

 **Patrol Base: A temporary position where teams will occupy for no more than 24 hours.**

 **Phase Line: A line utilized for control and coordination of military operations, usually an easily identifiable feature in the operational area.**

 **RTB: Return to Base**

 **Shitbag: A very lazy person, or, one who deceptively hides their lack of work or effort.**

 **SITREP: Situation Report**

 **SOF: Special Operations Forces**

 **Story Shout Outs:**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 4/19/17**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **TopHatGuy: As majestic as the A10 is, it will not make an appearance since it doesn't exist in Remnant.**

 **GoldSpark1: Thanks for the review as always. I really wanted to focus on Winter and show how she would react to being grilled by Ozpin's questions regarding Weiss and her family's company. And yes, Weiss is 17 in the show.**

 **OBSERVER01: Thanks for the review. Yeah, shame he died. I liked him as a villain, hopefully we'll get more background about him and Neo in Vol. 5.**


	23. Violence of Action

**Let's do this. Hope you enjoy the longest chapter for the story here so far sitting at 14,654 words without the author's notes.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Blackburn entered the patrol base to see Weiss, Blake, Ruby and Yang huddled in a small circle and snacking away on an early morning breakfast. Zwei was quick to trot over to Ruby and clambered up her leg hoping to get a treat, and was met with a piece of bread.

"How are you all feeling?" He asked as he sat down.

"My feet are killing me," said Weiss as she looked to him. "You mean to tell me you did that when you were a soldier all the time?"

"Yup. After my first ruck march, my feet were all torn up. Had nasty blisters under my toes and all over the bottom of my feet."

"Did they pop?"

"Oh yeah. Some felt good, some others, not so much."

Weiss shook her head and bit into the apple she picked up.

"Well, let's get that sleep plan in place so we can be ready for later," said Blackburn pulling out his notebook and pencil.

Patrol base operations had been a confusing concept for Blackburn when he heard about it. The biggest factor was that there were a lot of moving elements in terms of priorities of work and the amount of men that came into play. It hit him with a wave of humility and forced him to retract some of his thoughts towards platoon sergeants and lieutenants and look at them in a more respectable light.

By watching Lieutenant Coen and Sergeant Carlson during training and while deployed, he learned a lot by ear and after asking the two of them about it offline, they happily exposed him to the weeds of it. At first he regretted the decision, but now he was thankful for it.

His eyes roamed the paper. He had drawn up a small picture of the clearing and marked each spot that they would take to hold security on the perimeter. Ruby held the north, Weiss the east, Yang the south, and Blake had the west. Two of them would remain on watch for three hours and then rotate sleep with the other pair when it was time to switch.

Of course there was more to it than that, but he had to keep it simple enough for them to understand. He offered to take first watch with Weiss volunteering to be his second set of eyes.

"So, when do we start moving again?" Blake asked.

"We'll start at two. By the time we reach the hideout it should be getting close to sunset. There's less chance of heightened security since others will be sleeping and eating," said Blackburn.

Blake nodded and walked over to her tree and sat down. She rested her back against the trunk and her eyes slowly shut.

Ruby went to pick up Zwei, but stopped when he circled beside Blackburn and then laid down against his leg letting out a low growl. She smiled at the small dog and then at him.

"Zwei really likes you," she said before making her way to her spot.

Blackburn smiled a little bit and let his fingertips gently scratch the side of Zwei's stomach, garnering another growl from the dog. He looked up when Weiss and Yang sat down. Weiss was busy inspecting Myrtenaster while Yang had a sly grin on her face.

Seeing the playful look on the blonde made him flash back momentarily to Busch and his smart ass attitude. He would get a similar look like Yang, except his came in the form of a cocky smirk and a twinkle in his eye. Whatever the girl in front of him was planning, he silently hoped he could dish it right back.

"So, Professor, you've been here for a while now. Have you been hitting the town at all? Chatting to the girls?" Yang lounged against her bag, the grin never leaving her face.

He let out an exasperated sigh and gave her a flat look.

"No. That hasn't really been my focus since I got here," said Blackburn.

"So, that whole thing with Coco?" She teased.

"There's nothing between us. I'm a teacher, she's a student, that's off limits."

"Okay, let's say hypothetically that you weren't a teacher. Then what?"

He sent her another annoyed look.

"Even then, I don't think I would," he said with a shake of his head.

"Seriously? So, if a girl like her or me tried to flirt with you and you weren't a teacher, you wouldn't consider us?" Yang crossed her arms.

"First off, you're not my type. Second, like I told her, I don't think I want another relationship with a woman."

Yang opened and closed her mouth, blinking a few times at his given response. Her little reaction got a giggle from Weiss who stopped tending to Myrtenaster to look at her teammate.

"I know this is hypothetical, but did you just get shot down?" Weiss giggled again.

"Can it, Weiss-Cream!" Yang pointed a warning finger at her before turning back to him. "So, you play for the other team?"

Blackburn smirked, having expected that comment with his answer to her.

"No. I don't. I just… don't think that's a priority for me right now. Especially after how my last one ended."

He quickly stopped talking. Coco had tried getting him to spill his past relationship with Alison not too long ago, and he was not going to start here. It was still a sore topic for him, and he had no intention of letting it out to someone he could not truly confide in. It was something more suitable for a close friend, a chaplain, or even a therapist. Not some girls that kept teasing him about his love life.

"Was it a messy break up?" Yang asked.

He shifted against his bag and kept quiet.

"It was, wasn't it?" She frowned.

"Yang, stop it." Weiss turned her icy blue eyes to the blonde. "He doesn't want to talk about it, so let it go."

Yang held up her hands, dropping the conversation. She got to her feet and gave a long stretch. Her boots made quiet thuds on the grass as she trudged to her position on the perimeter to sleep.

Minutes ticked by. Neither Weiss nor Blackburn spoke to each other as they sat in the morning sun. The gentle chirps and tweets of birds sung from the tree tops, sometimes being accompanied by an owl's hoots.

"I'm sorry about that." Weiss broke the silence. "Yang has a habit of being a little nosy."

"It's fine," Blackburn said with a shake of his head.

He rubbed his tired eyes and stifled the contagious yawn that threatened to escape his mouth. It was difficult to keep your eyes open after long periods of time in the field, especially when you stopped moving and it was hot. The heat was almost like a warm blanket and once it had you in its cocoon, it was easy to doze off.

To keep himself focused he shifted his leg to the side and bounced it up and down in a steady rhythm. His hands were on Mustang and ready to bring it up in a second's notice.

He looked back at Weiss and saw her open the chamber to her blade. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a small, black box. She opened it with a flick of her fingers and inside was a handful of corked vials of dust that were cushioned with black padding. Her hand carefully extracted one of the vials and she pulled off the seal before gently sliding it into one of the empty chambers.

"How long have you known my sister?" Weiss spoke up.

He cast his eyes back to the heiress who had rested Myrtenaster against her bag, having finished loading it with dust. Her eyes were now fixed on him. It wasn't one of suspicion, but one of genuine curiosity.

"A while," he said.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Look, if we're going to be up keeping watch together, we might as well pass the time. So, how long have you known her for? You haven't been at Beacon that long."

A smile spread across his face and a chuckle escaped him. She was definitely Winter's little sister. She was direct and authoritative, much like her.

"I met her the night I first arrived here," said Blackburn.

"That's the same night you met Coco and her team, correct?" Weiss tilted her head.

"Yeah. Good times."

Weiss rose a brow at his words. Getting the hint, he adjusted himself to be more comfortable before answering again.

"Well, we met when I accidentally compromised her mission to raid a White Fang compound. She and I actually ended up fighting briefly before Fox blindsided me."

The look on Weiss' face became one of mild surprise. She pursed her lips and eyed him up and down.

"I assume Winter made quick work of you?" She asked.

He smirked and shook his head.

"I held out longer than she thought I would and I got a couple of hits on her," he said.

"If you're going to lie, at least try." Weiss smirked at him. "There's no way you managed to hit Winter. No offense, but better people have tried, and they failed."

Blackburn merely shrugged and grinned back at her.

"Ask her yourself. She'll probably try and brush it off since she's so damn prideful, but she knows it's true."

Weiss' eyes narrowed a bit at his jab at Winter, but she held her retort. When she broke eye contact it only confirmed his suspicion that she was very familiar with her sister's personality.

"What's your relationship with her?" Weiss fixed her eyes on him again.

"Complicated," he said taking a sip of water from his canteen. "Usually we're in each other's faces and arguing about the simplest shit, but at the end of the day, she is my friend. She has become my teacher and helped me with training in my Aura, my Semblance, and my weapon. I owe her a lot."

"Oh…"

He almost missed Weiss' simple reply. Her head was lowered as if in deep thought. He could see her fingers digging into the sleeves of her jacket as well.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" Weiss quickly looked up.

"You look pissed. Something on your mind?"

Her face fell at the direct question and she almost looked sheepish about it. A hue of red came to her cheeks as she opened her mouth to speak. She soon closed it and opened it again, almost looking like a fish gasping for water as she tried to find her words.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm jealous," said Weiss.

Blackburn laughed, only making her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"Jealous of what?" He choked out as he tried to stifle his laughs.

"You!" She threw her hand into the air. "She's been at Beacon this whole time and she's spent more time with you than me! I mean, I haven't seen her in ages, but she was here the whole time with you!"

His laughter soon died when he took another look at Weiss. The red had vanished from her cheeks and they reverted back to their pale state. Her eyes were downcast and a frown spread across her lips.

"You'd think family would take priority over something like that," she muttered, "but she chose you over me. Her own sister."

Weiss shook her head and sniffed. A couple of tears trickled down her face, but were soon wiped away with a brush of her hand.

Blackburn remained silent and listened to her vent. Despite her words of hurt and anger being directed at him, he let it slide.

"I'm sorry," said Weiss as she wiped her eyes again. "That was uncalled for."

He shook his head and offered her a smile of his own when she looked up.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? I get it," he said. "I know what it's like when someone puts something before their family."

"Really? How so?" Weiss met his eyes again.

"My dad is a soldier like me, and when I was growing up, it always seemed like he put the military and the guys he served with above me and my mom. I hated him for that for the longest time."

"And now?"

Blackburn shifted to get comfortable.

"I'll play devil's advocate for my dad and your sister. When I joined the military and went on my first deployment, I more or less matured and finally figured out why my dad did what he did. What it comes down to at the end of the day is that those that you serve and bleed with forms a brotherhood. Your fellow soldiers are your second family, and it's easy for them to become your true one."

Weiss shifted again and her brow creased as she silently dwelled on his words. Whether or not she would believe his words was another story. The last thing he needed was not to have Weiss distracted on the mission. He had his safety net in place to reassure her if she was unconvinced.

"She still had me, though. Winter never got along with Whitley. She despises our father, and has nothing good to say about our mother, either. We got along well and relied on each other until she left for Atlas Academy," said Weiss.

Blackburn opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. It took him another replay of what Weiss said for it to register with him. With all the time he spent with Winter, she only mentioned Weiss and her father. She said her mother had died when she was young, and she neglected to mention anything about a Whitley. With Weiss' mention of their mother, it sounded as if she was still alive.

He kept that thought in the back of his head for the time being and made a note to bring it up with Winter later.

"She always talks about you, you know?" he said.

"Really?" Weiss perked up a little bit.

"Yeah. She asks about you whenever we train. About your grades, your performance in combat class."

He watched as a small smile crept across Weiss' face with everything he listed off.

"She wanted to oversee your team for this mission personally to keep an eye on you, but Ozpin wouldn't let her. The only reason we're out here now is because she reluctantly agreed to his terms and put her faith into me to keep the four of you safe," he continued.

"I see…"

A pregnant pause fell between the two of them. Blackburn's eyes did a quick sweep of the perimeter. Blake, Yang and Ruby were still fast asleep, and Zwei had not shifted from his spot beside him. If something was amiss, he would be the first to sense it.

He lowered his voice just enough for Weiss to hear him.

"I promised her I'd watch over you on this mission, and I intend to do that. Don't take her not spending time with you as her blowing you off. She's doing everything she can to succeed and take care of her men. All the things that a good officer does."

Weiss met his eyes and she tilted her head. She looked at him for a long minute as if to detect any deceit in his words. He only returned her stare with one of his own, every muscle in his face was still to keep it relaxed and calm.

"She asked you to watch over me?" Weiss spoke up.

He nodded back at her.

"If she thinks I'm competent to be on this mission, then why does she feel I need to be watched?" She asked.

"I just told you why," he said with a shake of his head. "She didn't trust anyone to watch over you, including me. She's a huge control freak, but she did it because she was afraid of someone making a bad call that could get you hurt, or killed."

Weiss' eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but could form no words.

"How do you think this could go if you were caught by the White Fang?" He asked to try and put it in better perspective. "You're a Schnee. If you got caught, what would happen to you? What would this do to your family?"

Each question he riddled off made the color from Weiss' face drain. She was smart enough to know about some of the horrific possibilities that came with it.

"Don't tell Winter I told you this because I don't want her to get a big head, but she's without a doubt one of the best officers I met, and one of the strongest women I know. Personally, I can see why she wanted to be the one to lead your team on this mission," said Blackburn.

Silence fell between them again, but it was soon broken when Weiss found her voice.

"So, this was her way of protecting me?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

He leaned over and lifted his hand. His finger flicked out and struck her forehead, causing her to sit upright and rub the spot with her hand. Her icy eyes glared back at him and he gave her a cocky smirk back.

"Exactly," he said. "Boy, for a smart girl, that took you a while to wrap your head around, didn't it?"

Weiss' cheeks flushed, and whatever previous thoughts she had regarding Winter's motivations and the mission were soon forgotten. Her mind went into overdrive and was sifting through every possible insult and angry retort she could conjure in place of his remark. Her brow creased and she pointed a firm finger at him and let angry words fly, jostling Zwei from his sleep.

"What kind of barbarian are you?" Her finger shook. "You can't hit a student!"

"Two things," said Blackburn holding up a pair of fingers. "One, I just did. Two, if you can't handle a simple flick to the head, we should call it a day and go home."

Her nostrils flared and he let a snigger escape him. She was definitely a near carbon copy of Winter, and her little outburst proved it.

"I think I see why Winter argues with you. You have a smart mouth," said Weiss.

"You're goddamn right I do." He smirked back.

* * *

The rotation of their shift went smoothly. Blackburn and Weiss were quick to fall asleep when Ruby and Blake woke for their turn and it repeated when it was Yang's turn as well. Soon, it was time to move.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual, we are packing up our patrol base and continuing to the objective. Over," said Blackburn.

"Roger, Stalker Actual. Continue on heading two-seven-zero and send SITREPs as ordered. Out," Overlord answered back.

After finishing the message, Blackburn had them resume their movement toward the hill just ahead of their established phase line. This one in particular looked worse than the ones they crossed during the first half of their hike.

The hill itself towered high toward the sky. Trees sat behind one another in continuous rows that followed the bend and ascension to the crest. Branches blocked out the sky at times, only allowing for patches of blue to appear every now and then through the climb. The grass was tall and sometimes hid holes created by snakes and critters, narrowly making them trip at times. The slope alone resembled that of a steep roller coaster drop.

The five of them were hunched forward and had to use four points of contact at points to keep from slipping and rolling down the hill. By the time they reached the top, a thick layer of sweat adorned their faces and shone brightly in the sun as they stood in the small clearing.

Blackburn allowed them to take a short break to drink water and rest while he pulled out his binoculars to scan their heading. Trees stretched for miles, but he could make out some small fields along the way as the hills gave way to flatter terrain to make their walk easier.

He brought up the map and looked at it after pinpointing their spot. Sure enough, it had a couple of fields and flatlands throughout the walk, but it would all give way to a valley where the hideout was supposed to be located.

Blackburn tucked the map and his compass away and stood up. He had them return to their file formation and continue down the hill, which to their surprise graced them with a gentle, cool breeze. Definitely a welcome surprise.

Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, their pace quickened. With the final hill now behind them, they were filled with renewed vigor. They continued their fast trek, covering just under five miles an hour.

By the time they reached the final miles of their hike, the blue sky was turning orange as sunset drew near.

Blackburn came to a halt after hitting his pace count and took a knee. Ruby, Blake, Yang and Weiss mimicked him and took their chance to drink water again and scan the area for any White Fang patrols.

"Okay, the compound should be beyond those trees," said Blackburn as he pointed dead ahead.

There was a thin thicket of trees ahead of them that soon vanished with the shift of the elevation.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual. Be advised, we have crossed Phase Line Skittle and are close to Objective Wonka. How copy? Over," said Blackburn.

"Roger, Stalker Actual. Confirmed crossing of Phase Line Skittle and are near Objective Wonka. Break. Do you have eyes on the objective at this time? Over," said Overlord.

"Negative. We do not have eyes on at this time. We're about two hundred meters from the top of the valley. Over."

"Roger. Get eyes on the objective and conduct reconnaissance to confirm or deny White Fang activity."

"Understood. We're moving to check now. Out."

He stood up and began to jog ahead of his team who followed close behind. When he reached the trees he slowed down and crept through them silently. After he weaved his way through the trees, they gave way to a large valley.

Across from them they could see the opposite ridge overlooking the large field below. The field may have been filled with luscious green grass in the past, but the majority of it was now gone. A small river ran along the base of the far side and flowed north. The undisturbed patches of earth were surrounding a series of warehouses that were blocked by large, concrete walls that intersected with guard towers at every corner. Inside the compound on the far western edge were three sets of train tracks that ran alongside the river north out of the compound and led to the port miles away.

Blackburn got down on his stomach and motioned for Ruby, Blake, Weiss and Yang to do the same. Ruby and Weiss took his left while Blake and Yang took the right. He pulled out his binoculars again and looked down to the compound.

There was a lot of activity. Dozens of personnel walked between each of the warehouses moving pallets of crates with forklifts and loading it on a large freight train docked on the western end. Everyone in the compound was wearing the same uniform that consisted of a mask, black and grey pants and shirts, and a white tabard with a red beast and slash marks on the back.

He slowly observed each side of the compound and each guard tower. There were four towers with and additional lookout on the gates overlooking the northern exit where the train tracks led. Each tower was manned with two guards that were looking out toward various parts of the valley, no doubt to intersect lines of sight to catch any unwanted guests.

Ten guards overlooking the outside of the compound. They also had night vision given their Faunus heritage and they would be spotted coming a mile away if they tried a direct approach.

Blackburn sucked his teeth and lowered his binoculars. His brow furrowed in thought as he mulled over the intelligence he had gathered.

They could confirm the presence of White Fang in the area, but they would be unable to encounter them as they were now. There were two options that he saw, but before acting upon them, he decided to take a leaf from Winter's book and evaluate the risk and get a feeling from his team.

"So, what are we going to do?" Ruby asked him.

Blackburn dragged a hand down his sweaty face and cupped his chin. He exchanged looks with the four girls.

"The way I see it, we have two options," he began, "option one, we radio HQ and confirm the presence of White Fang personnel and request for backup. The second option, we radio HQ and roll the dice by going to try and secure any intelligence and SDC property minus backup."

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang looked at one another after he presented their options. They would have to contact HQ either way, but depending on their response, it would prompt them to make a hasty decision. Whatever the White Fang was loading on the train would be leaving at some point, and if they could keep that from becoming a reality, they would.

"We have to think about this. We're outnumbered, and as skilled as we are, it's not wise to go rushing into a situation without proper support," said Weiss.

"So you want us to wait? By then it might be too late!" Blake argued back.

Weiss gave her a firm glare.

"You know that's not what I said. Don't forget, we managed to make it out of the Breach in one piece, but even then that was sheer luck! We are the only ones out here, and the closest support is far away!"

"That's understandable, but look at that train!"

Blake pointed a hard finger at the large freight train still being loaded. They were burning precious time to stop the shipment of SDC equipment to the port in the north where it would be sent to the surrounding kingdoms.

"Regardless of the follow on orders we get after calling this in, we can't let that train leave!" Said Blake.

"And unlike last time, it's Professor Blackburn's call," said Weiss sparing him a quick look. "Not my call. Not your call. His."

Blake's brow furrowed and her teeth poked out in a frustrated snarl.

Blackburn pushed down on his radio to transmit his message.

"Overlord, this is Stalker Actual," said Blackburn.

"Roger, Stalker Actual. Send traffic, over," Overlord answered back.

"Be advised, we have eyes on Objective Wonka, break. There is a lot of activity coming from the warehouses and they are loading cargo onto a freight train. How copy?"

"Roger, good copy. Confirm, White Fang personnel are loading SDC property on freight train from warehouses."

"Overlord, that train seems to be set north for the port to deliver precious cargo. What's the plan from here? Over."

There was a long pause.

"Stand by for tasking, Stalker Actual," said Overlord.

"Roger," said Blackburn.

He took his hand off his radio and rubbed his eyes again.

Future tasking, also known as the waiting game. Men like him thrived in line units because there was always something to do and it helped things go by quick. Waiting for orders sucked and almost felt like he was having his very soul sucked out. Boredom at its finest.

In times like this, he and his squad would pass the time by talking about whatever popped in their heads. Sometimes having a smoke or some chew in between.

He was broken from his thoughts when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. When he turned to the one who was trying to get his attention, he saw Weiss looking at him somewhat embarrassed.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Forgive me if this comes across as unpleasant, but what did you do if you had to use the bathroom out here?" Asked Weiss.

He rose a brow at her.

"Do you have to pee or poop?" He asked.

"Does it really matter?" Her cheeks burned scarlet.

"It does. If you go number one, go in the bush. If you have to go number two…" he slung off his bag and opened it to pull out a foldable spade.

Weiss looked between him and the shovel.

"You can't be serious?" She shook her head.

She only frowned when he reached in to pull out baby wipes and a roll of toilet paper.

"Not kidding. If you're taking a dump, make a like a dog and bury it," said Blackburn.

Weiss bit her lip and begrudgingly grabbed the E-tool from him and took the baby wipes and toilet paper with her free hand. Without a word, she turned on her heel and vanished into the trees. Once she was gone, Yang let out a loud snort and she covered her mouth to keep her laugh suppressed.

"Oh, Weiss-Cream." Yang wiped a tear from her eye.

A rustle came from his left and he turned to see Ruby peering down the scope of Crescent Rose. Her hands moved in a slow and controlled sweep as she scanned the compound like he did earlier.

"Ruby, I want you to keep scanning the compound and make note of anything in their defenses we can exploit if we get the green light to attack," said Blackburn.

"Anything in particular?" She asked back.

"Any patrols. Shift changes in security. Holes in the perimeter. That kind of stuff."

"Okay."

He, too, pitched in to give her a hand. He brought up Mustang and peered through his ACOG sight and did another sweep of the compound. From the warehouses and then to the train.

Still nothing out of the ordinary.

He moved his gaze toward the center of the compound where he could see a small crowd had formed. They all appeared to be looking at one individual.

The man was tall and had a strong build. His short, black hair was similar to a buzz cut, and he had a tribal tattoo going down his left arm. His face was hidden behind a mask.

Making note of what he saw, Blackburn pushed to talk on his radio.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual. I have eyes on a possible HVI inside the compound, over," said Blackburn.

"Stalker Actual, there are no HVIs in your AO," said Overlord.

"Roger, I say again, possible HVI. Not confirmed. Over."

"Roger, Stalker Actual. Make note of the HVIs appearance for mission debriefing so we can put a BOLO on them for future operations."

"Solid copy, Overlord. Do we have an update on our current mission status?"

Blackburn tucked his notebook away after writing down the last detail of the possible high ranked target in the compound. He peered through his scope and followed the individual as he moved to the train, talking with a lower ranked member.

"Stalker Actual, you have QRF moving to your location to aid in sweeping the compound. ETA sixty mikes, over," said Overlord.

"Roger. What is the QRF's composition?" Blackburn replied.

"QRF is comprised of one SOF team and one fast mover for CAS, break. Call signs are as follows. SOF team is Outlaw, CAS is Gunfighter Six. How Copy?"

"Good copy, Overlord."

"Stalker Actual, do not begin sweep of the compound until QRF is in your area. Out."

Blackburn's eyes shifted to his right and he could see the frown on Blake's face grow having overheard the response. She was growing impatient. In fact, this was the first time he had seen her show much emotion.

Whatever her feelings were towards the White Fang, he could not help but feel it was personal.

A rustle came from the trees and Weiss emerged. She retook her position beside him and set the E-tool, baby wipes and the toilet paper between them.

"So, what's the plan?" Ruby whispered.

Blackburn closed his eyes and chewed the inside of his cheek. It was his mission and his responsibility to accomplish it.

With their manpower, it was not ideal. They were outnumbered and each White Fang member in the compound varied in skill in terms of combat. There would be weak grunts, and strong grunts. The more support they had, the better.

"I want to know right now, no bullshit. How long do you four think you can hold your ground for against a force like this?" He looked between the four of them, giving Ruby a serious look when she opened her mouth to call him on his cursing.

"If we plan it right, maybe ten to fifteen minutes," said Ruby.

He nodded and cast a glance up at the setting sun. They had at least half an hour before it got dark, and that gave him some breathing room. Half hour to plan and observe the compound for any changes in security. Practices rehearsals for actions on the objective, then making their attack and holding on for QRF.

 _"Too easy."_ He mused.

So long as Murphy didn't give him the old "fuck you," which was a guarantee.

"Okay. We got an hour before QRF gets here, and we're going to take the time to come up with a plan of attack," said Blackburn. "Ruby, I want you to keep eyes on the compound and keep looking for anything we can use to our advantage."

"Got it!" Ruby beamed back, peering down her scope.

He got to his feet and gave a long stretch before moving to the trees behind them. Yang, Blake and Weiss followed him and surrounded the map after he set it on the grass. He then pulled out his notebook and opened it to a fresh page.

Normally he'd be looking at a sand table, but since they were lacking in material, he had to improvise.

"I'm going to come up with our plan of attack. In the meantime, you four make sure your weapons are good to go, and use the bathroom if you have to. I want all of you ready for a brief in ten minutes," said Blackburn.

"Sounds good, boss." Yang nodded.

* * *

Blackburn read over his makeshift order for what felt like the fifteenth time to ensure all the details his team needed to know were in place. He had no time to get into the specifics for them, so to avoid wasting time, he broke it down enough for the four of them to understand with as little confusion as possible. Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Weiss had pulled Ruby off of overwatch so she could listen in on the plan. Once she took her spot, Blackburn went to work.

"Good evening ladies, time is now 1900 hours. I'll go over our mission and I want you to note down the key pieces," said Blackburn.

He waited for them to pull out their notebooks and a pencil to do as he asked. Once they did, he continued.

"Our job is to conduct a raid on Objective Wonka no later than 2000 hours in vicinity of map grid Papa Lima 17809020 in order to secure stolen SDC supplies," he continued.

Blackburn shone his light over the circled part of the map he laid in front of them to show their grid location. He oriented it to the north and then shone his light on the piece of paper he had on top of it to show the general layout of the compound.

"To keep it simple for you four, I want you to write down these call signs. This is how we will communicate with each other and talk with Atlas HQ," said Blackburn. "My call sign is Stalker Actual. Ruby, you are Stalker One. Weiss, Stalker Two. Blake, Stalker Three, and Yang is Stalker Four. HQ call sign is Overlord. SOF team is Outlaw. CAS is Gunfighter Six."

He watched their pencils scratch down the call signs. When they finished, he carried on.

"We will attack in teams. Teams will be myself and Zwei. Ruby and Weiss. Then Blake and Yang. First phase will be movement into the compound. Ruby, you will guide me, Zwei, Blake and Yang inside the compound to plant charges on the towers. There was a culvert leading into the river outside the compound that we will use. Phase two will be to set charges on the train to disable it if it tries to leave. Phase three, hopefully we'll have the sentries down to allow fast insertion for QRF and we will clear the warehouses with the SOF team. Once we've secured the area, we'll radio HQ for extraction and go home."

His eyes flicked down to his watch. There was one last thing he needed to tell them before they could begin their movement.

"Now, it's important to have succession of command if something goes wrong. As of right now, succession of command will be myself, then Ruby. If something happens to both of us, break contact and fall back to the rally point here and radio HQ for further instructions. Are there any questions?"

Weiss was the first to raise her hand.

"Will Ruby and I come inside the compound, or do you want us to maintain overwatch the entire time?"

Blackburn shook his head.

"Maintain overwatch until QRF is inside the compound. Once they're here, come help us clear."

Weiss nodded and turned her gaze to Blake who had her hand raised next.

"Can I assume we'll be using stealth until we're compromised?" Blake asked.

"Yes. Everyone in that compound is hostile and will be dealt with quietly. If we get caught, go loud. No point in being subtle if they know we're there. Violence of action, speed and aggression."

Ruby raised her hand next.

"Yeah?" He pointed at her.

"What does violence of action mean?" She tilted her head.

"To go at your enemy so hard and fast that they can only focus on the wrath that's descending upon them."

Yang smirked at him and rose a brow.

"Did you make that up on your own?" She asked.

"Nah. Got it on a t-shirt back home." He shook his head. "Anyway, let's practice a walkthrough of the mission."

Rehearsals were key in any operation. Not only did they guide soldiers on contingency plans if monkey wrenches were thrown in their plan like if a key leader went down, actions upon taking contact, or actions on the objective. It was imperative for everyone to know their job and the job of everyone on the squad in case something happened to them. All were critical for any soldier to know so that they could be ready for anything and ensure a mission's success.

Blackburn was very thankful that the girls were quick with picking up the idea. Each step by step process for their mission was covered and reviewed with possible "what if?" scenarios that they could likely face.

He looked at his watch. They had five minutes to spare before they stepped off. Just enough time to take care of his own needs. It was his job to make sure his team was good to go and taken care of before he took care of himself. In this case, it was a bathroom break.

"I'll be right back. Gonna' take care of something," said Blackburn. "Yang, Blake, be ready to move. And Weiss…"

Weiss looked back at him.

"Once you and Ruby consolidate on us inside the compound, you're no more than two feet away from me."

She opened her mouth to retort, but he was having none of it.

"And that's not negotiable."

Weiss narrowed her eyes and turned away in a huff, obviously not pleased at being babied, but she would comply nonetheless.

* * *

Blackburn, Blake, Yang and Zwei crept down the steep hill and into the valley. They kept their spacing and stayed low in the tall grass to stay out of sight from the towers. Ruby was busy keeping eyes on their movement and the towers nearest them as they made their way to the culvert.

His eyes scanned the area slowly through his NODs. There was still no sign of movement save for distant figures in the towers. He pushed his goggles up and returned his hand to Mustang to hold it at the low ready.

"Stalker Actual, Overlord. Be advised, QRF will be entering your airspace in twenty mikes."

Blackburn glanced at his watch and grimaced. He had to pick up the pace if they wanted to meet their timeline expectations before the QRF got there.

"Roger that, Overlord. We're standing by. Out," said Blackburn.

He looked back at Blake and Yang.

"We need to haul ass. Stay low and close behind me," he said.

They nodded and he started moving forward in a light jog. He had faith in Ruby to keep them covered and decided to take the risk of avoiding detection to meet their goal. With each long stride, the culvert drew closer and closer. When they reached it, he quickly spun on his heel and took a knee with Mustang raised.

"Get down there and see if it's open," he whispered to Blake.

Blake nodded and hopped into the ditch and disappeared from sight. She was silent for a few seconds before she reappeared.

"We're clear," said Blake.

He nodded back and slowly stepped into the ditch, taking one last look around to make sure they were alone.

"Stalker One, Stalker Actual. We're entering the culvert now. Keep eyes on the exit for any patrols," said Blackburn.

"Roger that, boss!" Ruby chirped back.

He smiled lightly at the reaper's jubilant response and took point once more. He pulled his NODs down and welcomed the green vision as it filled his eyes.

His face twisted into one of disgust as the scent of feces wafted into his nostrils. Behind him he could hear Yang and Blake gag at the nasty stench. Personally, he would tolerate it and withhold his complaints, because what they were smelling was nothing compared to Zwei. The poor dog had to be getting the full blast of it.

In curiosity, he glanced down at the pooch to his left and watched as he thoroughly sniffed the ground.

 _"Please don't eat it."_ He shook his head.

His feet made light splashes as he trekked through the shallow water.

"Does this count as us seeing some shit?" Yang whispered.

Blake groaned and shook her head at her partner's pun and Blackburn stopped dead. He looked back at the blonde who was grinning at her own wittiness.

"Eh? Eh?" She lifted her arms.

She looked between the two of them and crossed her arms.

"Oh, come on! That was good!" She looked at him.

He shook his head and offered her a knife hand.

"Not only "no" Yang, but fuck no."

She rolled her eyes and a playful grin spread across her lips.

"Whatever, Commander Buzzkill. I'm funny."

He rolled his eyes and returned his focus to the front and continued his march down the tunnel. Their steps were small to keep noise discipline and their ears were sharp for any voices coming from the end of the tunnel.

Light came into view at the end of the tunnel. It was wide open to give them swift access inside without risk of being compromised. So far, Murphy had been on their side, but he was bound to cross them at some point. The likelihood of it only grew the deeper they got inside the compound.

He held up a fist and took a knee. Blake and Yang mimicked him and waited patiently as he pushed down on his radio.

"Stalker One, Stalker Actual. We are near the end of the culvert. Are we clear to move?" Blackburn whispered.

His finger was just outside the trigger guard of Mustang and ready to pull if it came down to it.

"You have one guy moving towards the culvert now. He'll be on your left. You're clear after that," Ruby answered back.

"How close?" Blackburn asked.

"Umm, twenty meters and closing."

"Good copy. Stand by."

Blackburn slung Mustang and crept close to the tunnel's edge. Sure enough, he could hear the faint footsteps growing louder with each passing second. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest in anticipation of his next move. Taking the chance, he peered around the edge of the tunnel and saw a lone sentry almost on top of their position.

He quickly retreated inside and readied his hands. The second the sentry stopped in front of the culvert and turned his back, he made his move.

His feet were silent and quick as he lurched out and wrapped his arms around the unsuspecting patrolman. Any noise the man tried to make was muffled as Blackburn cut off the oxygen to his head with a blood choke. He slowly pulled the man inside the tunnel and his struggles were quick to die.

After confirming the man was unconscious, he pulled out zipties and bound his ankles and wrists, leaving him face down in the tunnel.

"You're clear to move," came Ruby's voice.

"Roger. Get ready to guide us," Blackburn replied.

Blackburn reached into his pack and pulled out two dust charges. They were not complex to use, so he felt comfortable with Blake and Yang taking them to the designated towers. He handed one to each of them and checked his watch.

Their change of pace got them back on course to meet their time hacks.

"Okay, these are easy to use. All you have to do is plant them on the towers and flip this switch to arm it. They're set to detonate when they're activated, so you have time to get into a hiding spot and get the jump on them when shit hits the fan," said Blackburn.

"Sounds simple enough," said Blake. "Which towers are we taking?"

"You and Yang will take the two across the compound. Move quietly and use good judgment. Don't go loud unless you have to."

Blake nodded back and stood at the entrance of the tunnel. After taking a quick look to the flanks, she motioned for Yang to follow her.

Blackburn silently watched them scurry to a cluster of storage containers and out of sight. He then looked down at Zwei and gently scratched his head.

"Let's go, buddy," he whispered.

He raised Mustang and stayed low as he crept along the wall and moved north to his first tower. Zwei followed close behind, his feet barely making a sound as they moved.

"Hey, I'm seeing a lot of movement near the train. I think it may be getting ready to leave," said Ruby.

"Our priority is the towers. We'll worry about the train once we've dealt with them," said Blackburn.

He squatted at the base of the first tower after reaching it and did another quick scan. Nothing in sight.

He slung Mustang again and peered up the scaffold. The bottom of the tower was wood and stood no chance of resisting the blast when the charge was detonated. With careful hands, he began scaling the supports, all the while keeping his eyes open for movement on the ground.

He stopped just under the wooden floor and pulled out the first charge. His eyes fell on a forked set of beams and he eased it into place. The tip of his thumb flipped the switch and a red light came to life on the side. One down, one to go.

"Stalker Three, Stalker Four, give me a SITREP," he whispered into his radio.

He dropped to the ground with a dull thud and raised Mustang again and began his trek down the wall to the south side of the compound. His feet were quick and silent. He spared a look to the train and in between cars he could see a large gathering of personnel. If Ruby was right, he had to hurry if he wanted a chance to disable the train.

"Stalker Four here, charge is planted. Waiting for the fireworks," said Yang.

That was two armed and ready. Now he just needed to hear Blake's confirmation.

He waited patiently for Blake to respond, but it never came. Maybe she didn't hear him?

"Stalker Three, what's your status? Over," said Blackburn.

"Charge is planted. What's the deal with the train?" Blake answered back.

Good, that was three. Once the last tower was marked, he could place the last charge on the train's engine to disable it upon detonation.

"Leave the train to me. Hold your position, Stalker Three," said Blackburn.

"We're running out of time! We have to take it out now if we want to keep the SDC supplies here!" Blake protested.

"And none of us are any good dead! Shut up and hold your position!"

He shook his head. He made a mental note to pull Blake aside to talk to her later about her behavior. She had been edgy since they laid eyes on the compound and had gotten tunnel vision on the train.

He wiped the sweat from his face when he got under the last tower and began to climb it. Just like the previous one, he managed to fit the charge snug in between a pair of beams so it would not fall. He dropped to the ground and set his sights on the train.

"Stalker Actual this is Outlaw, we are entering the AO at this time ETA fifteen mikes, over," came the team leader's voice.

"Roger that, Outlaw. We are in position and ready to engage on your go," said Blackburn.

Blackburn hustled out from his hiding spot and towards the first set of tracks where some abandoned box cars sat. Upon reaching the tracks he crouched low and crawled under the first car and looked to his left and right. A three man patrol was making their way towards him.

His breath was calm as he watched three sets of feet enter his vision and crunch on the gravel as they passed in front of him. He held Mustang close, finger on the trigger. He waited until the patrol had passed the second car before crawling out and moving to the next set of tracks.

A loud whistle met his ears and the train let out a loud groan. The wheels squeaked as they began to drag on the rails.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual. Train is leaving the compound with SDC supplies, break. Can CAS engage the train?" Blackburn asked.

"Negative, Stalker Actual. SDC supplies is to be recovered, not destroyed. Over," said Overlord.

"Understood. Holding position until QRF arrives. Out."

He shook his head and let out a sigh. That was the last thing he wanted to hear, but orders were orders. Had it been up to him, he'd have CAS take out the train to keep the enemy from acquiring the supplies in the first place.

"Stalker Three is moving!" Ruby said.

Blackburn's head snapped up at that. Wherever Blake was, she was now defying orders and risking the whole plan to stop the train. He cursed and got to his feet.

Sparing a look around, he found the coast clear and ran forward with Zwei hot on his heels. He clambered on to the platform and crouched behind a cluster of stacked crates. Zwei was watching the rear and it gave him the chance to observe their front.

Peering over the crates he could see a squad of White Fang personnel surrounding a towering man. It took him a moment, but Blackburn was able to identify him as the possible HVI he reported to HQ earlier. Now that he was closer and could see him in the light, he pulled out his scroll and switched to the camera function.

With steady hands he held the scroll and once the screen was clear he snapped a shot of the man. He tucked his scroll away and looked to the open door off to his right.

"Zwei, go and have a look!" He pointed for the door.

The pooch scampered to the door and wormed his way inside. He followed close behind and kept sharp to avoid drawing attention to himself. Zwei appeared back in the door and he followed him inside.

The warehouse was almost barren save for some extra shipping containers in the far corner. The White Fang had been busy moving the supplies, but not all of it had been loaded. That still gave them a chance to recover a small portion of it when the QRF arrived.

Voices met his ears and he took to the window. Outside he could see the White Fang members on the platform looking towards the center of the compound pointing at something.

Did they see Blake?

"Stalker One, do you have eyes on Stalker Three?" Blackburn asked.

"Yeah, she's subduing a sentry in the center of the compound," Ruby answered.

Blackburn took a sharp breath through his nose to keep himself from screaming in frustration. Regardless of what happened now, they were compromised. From the corner of his eye he could see some of the squad break off and make their way in Blake's direction.

"Stalker One, get ready to loud on my go. Cover Stalker Three then make your way here with Stalker Two," said Blackburn.

"Got it," Ruby answered back.

He reached for his vest and pulled out the clacker for the charges and stuck his head out of the door. If they were going loud, he would do everything he could to at least try and take down the leader of the cell.

This thumb pressed down on the trigger and a lone click sounded. Four loud booms followed simultaneously as the towers in the compound burst into splinters one at a time. Flames burst to life on the compound's walls and surprised cries filled the night sky.

"Overlord, Stalker Actual, we have been compromised. Say again, we have been compromised. Tell QRF they need to haul ass, over!" Blackburn said.

He raised Mustang and took aim. His finger coiled around the trigger and began to pull. One round after the next left Mustang and made contact with the White Fang members on the platform. His surprise attack drew their attention and he watched as his rounds made contact with their Aura and began to deplete it.

"Zwei, go!" He pointed at the group in front of him.

Zwei let out a bark and ran at them. He jumped at the first one that broke from the group and ran at them. He slammed hard into his chest and opened his mouth to bite at his face.

While Zwei was occupied, Blackburn fired the last three rounds of his magazine and dropped it for a reload.

"Stalker Four, consolidate on Stalker Three and start clearing the warehouses!" Blackburn loaded his fresh magazine.

"Moving!" Yang hollered back.

Blackburn stood up and returned fire again, this time dropping three White Fang sentries. He then turned his sight on the tall member he had been watching all night. The man looked back at him and tilted his head.

Not wasting time, Blackburn fired at the man who disappeared behind another mountain of crates. He grimaced and stepped forward slowly, Zwei joining him having disposed of the White Fang grunt that tried to attack them a minute ago.

A bark left Zwei and Blackburn dove away just in time. The tall man had jumped from the top of the crates, now holding a massive chainsaw blade. It revved to life and he trudged towards him, his footsteps heavy.

"I was wondering when you Atlas Specialists were going to show up," his voice was deep as he sneered at him.

Zwei growled and leaped at the man. He was stopped in his tracks when the man took a hand off of his weapon and backhand him away. Zwei hit the ground and let out a cry as he rolled away.

In a burst of adrenaline and rage, Blackburn shifted Mustang into its blade form and jumped at the man. The chainsaw roared to life and a shower of sparks began to litter the ground as it ground against his blade. His arms trembled violently and he could feel his joints growing sore by the second.

"Struck a nerve with you, didn't I?" The man asked.

Although he couldn't see it, Blackburn was sure the man was smirking behind his mask. He could not give in to the taunt. Instead, he focused his anger and called upon his Aura. With a hard push to his left, he managed to break free from the deadlock with the man and his Semblance kicked in.

He had grown more familiar with calling on it during his training sessions with Winter, and was thankful. The man in front of him was strong and it would take every ounce of his training to get the upper hand on him.

Like before, everything around him slowed down. His heart thumped like thunder in his ears and echoed in his head. He gripped Mustang tight and swung at the man who was taking a swing of his own. Their blades met in a fierce clash and bounced off each other.

He was quick to recover and stepped forward with a slash and watched with satisfaction when his blade made direct contact with the man's Aura, dropping it. He slashed again going inside landing another hit.

Time sped up and his senses returned to normal. Blackburn hunched forward and nearly fell to the floor in dizziness. He barely recollected himself in time to deflect and incoming slash from the man. His arms buckled and the blade made contact with him and he let out a cry of surprise as his Aura took a direct hit.

This time he did hunch forward and was subjected to a hard knee to the face. Blackburn stumbled back and fell face first to the platform floor. Turning to his side he glanced over his shoulder, but the man disappeared.

Bullets snapped against the crates and splinters of wood showered the ground. He could feel them hiss by and pelt the train as it began to pick up speed. He shifted Mustang back to its gun form and returned fire, all the while seeking cover behind the crates.

His quick reaction made the shooters seek cover of their own and allowed him to take a quick look at the departing train. The last of the cars were just leaving the gate, and on the last one he could see the chainsaw bearing man standing in the open door of the car. In his hand he was holding a red dust crystal.

"You dropped this!" He called to him.

Blackburn fumbled around his vest and his fingers traced the empty holster where he previously had three dust crystals, now only finding two. He watched the man slam the crystal against the wall of the car and wind his arm back.

Not thinking twice he fired at the man, but was too late. The man retreated inside the car and the door sealed shut behind him as the train exited the compound.

"Aw, shit!" He dove for the tracks as the crystal spun in the air towards him.

A deafening boom sounded behind him as the crystal exploded upon touching the ground where he stood just a second before. The blast caught him and crashed straight into his plated vest. The wind was sucked from his lungs and his eyes went wide in shock as he tried to comprehend the hard hit of the concussive blast.

His eyes saw sky and ground as he was propelled across the tracks and towards another box car. He couldn't even cry in pain since it died in his throat when his back struck it. All of his ribs and his stomach throbbed in pain as they settled back into place when he landed hard on the gravel.

Darkness crept into his vision and he was barely able to make out Zwei as he bounded for him.

* * *

"Stalker Actual, are you there?" Ruby tried again as she and Weiss sprinted across the open field to the compound's gates.

Once again, Blackburn did not respond. She frowned and shook her head at Weiss when she looked at her for an answer. The man had gone dark shortly after the towers were destroyed. Whether it was from him being caught in a fight, or if something happened to him was another story. Either way, she could not focus on that at the moment.

As of now, she was in charge until they linked up.

She readied Crescent Rose when they were fifty meters away from the gate. Weiss stopped beside her and conjured a glyph below them after stabbing Myrtenaster in the ground. The red glyph shone brightly and when she steadied her breath, she pulled the trigger.

Crescent Rose let out a loud bang as the round shot from it. The empowered round shot for the gate in a streak of red and upon connecting with the gate, it exploded and reduced it into splinters.

"Nice shot, Ruby," said Weiss.

"Aw, thanks Weiss!" Ruby stood up, ejecting the spent shell.

The two of them dashed forward again, Ruby using her Semblance and Weiss using her glyph to stay beside her. They slowed down when they entered the gates.

The compound was now in shambles after their surprise attack. Fires raged along the walls, White Fang members were strewn about the area, unconscious or groaning in pain from whatever Blake and Yang did to them before entering the warehouse.

"Stalker Four, where are you?" Ruby asked.

"First warehouse near the gate! About time you two joined the party!" Yang answered back.

"We're coming to you now, hang on."

Ruby and Weiss ran for the first warehouse that Yang told them about. The two of them stacked up outside the shut door. Once Weiss reloaded Myrtenaster, she nodded at Ruby who broke off the wall and fired at the hinges. With a kick, the door fell to the floor with a loud crash and they were met by the distant blasts of Ember Celica and Gambol Shroud.

"Let's go!" Ruby ran inside.

The gunshots grew louder to the point that they were now overpowering their own voices.  
"Weiss go to the right, I got the left!" Shouted Ruby.

Weiss was already moving in the direction she was told before the order was finished, sensing the next move.

Ruby climbed on top of the mountain of crates and looked down into the fray below. Yang and Blake were standing back to back and were surrounded by over twenty White Fang grunts. Glancing to her left, she could see Weiss hiding behind a pillar.

"Slip and Slide!" Ruby hollered firing Crescent Rose to draw attention.

Her plan worked. All the grunts shifted their attention to her location and aimed their weapons while some ran for her position. Off in the corner, Weiss was free to make her move. Her partner stabbed Myrtenaster into the floor and ice spread across it like spilt water, soon turning the warehouse into a miniature ice rink.

White Fang grunts slipped and struggled to keep their balance on the ice coated floor. Some let out surprised cries when they slid and collided with one another or into pillars and crates.

"Freezer Burn!" Ruby didn't let up.

Yang propelled herself high with a blast of Ember Celica and flipped. Her arm cocked back and she flew towards the floor, punching it with her fist and melting the ice. A thick fog flooded the room and granted them a chance to gain the advantage.

"Lady Bug!" Ruby jumped into the fray, pulling the trigger of Crescent Rose.

She zoomed across the warehouse and gave a wild hack. She could feel the Aura of White Fang grunts absorb the blow she dealt and skidded to a halt before firing again. This time she caught a glimpse of Blake who used her shadow to stretch out Gambol Shroud's bow.

Some of the White Fang got hit with the bow and their feet flew out from under them. Ruby was quick to intercept them with two quick slashes, sending them to opposite ends of the warehouse. Multiple crashes echoed around the facility as they smashed into crates and the walls before curling into a defeated heap.

By the time the fog lifted, only one White Fang member remained and he had his rifle aimed for Ruby who had her back turned.

"I don't think so!" Yang shot forward with a loud bang.

Her arm wound back and she buried her fist into the girl's stomach. Ember Celica let out a loud bang and sent the girl flying with a startled squeak. She flew out of the glass window and out of sight, a distant thump soon following.

"Nice work, guys. We still have two more warehouses to clear," said Ruby.

"What about Professor Blackburn? Have you seen him?" Yang looked back at her.

Ruby shook her head with a small frown.

"No. He hasn't responded since the train left."

"We should try to find him. He might be in one of the warehouses," said Blake.

Her suggestion garnered nods out of Yang and Ruby, but she only got a harsh look from Weiss in return. The young Schnee walked over to Blake and glared up at her.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if you just did what he told you!" She jabbed her in the shoulder with her finger.

Blake glared back at Weiss and her face twisted into an angry sneer.

"We had to stop the train!" Blake defended her decision.

"How were you going to do it?!" Weiss challenged her. "You didn't have another charge to plant! Professor Blackburn had the last one, that's why he told you he'd take care of it!"

"He was busy with the last tower and wasn't going to catch it in time! Causing a distraction was the best chance we had to disable it!"

"Well, a lot of good that did!"

Back and forth the two girls shouted at each other, their faces burning red with anger at the botched plan that they worked hard to make.

"I should have known this was going to happen!" Weiss shook her head. "Every time the White Fang is involved, you obsess over it and have to try and handle it on your own!"

"Excuse me?" Blake took a step forward.

"You were acting pushy the entire time, and you took matters into your own hands again! Your actions probably got Professor Blackburn…"

By this point, Ruby had enough. She appeared between her two teammates in a flurry of rose petals and shoved both of them back. She then fired two rounds into the ceiling, shutting them up as they covered their ears from the loud discharge.

"Knock it off, both of you!" She glared at the two of them. "Now's not the time to be pointing fingers! We still have a job to do and we can't do that if you're at each other's throats!"

Weiss held up her hands to surrender the argument. She offered Blake one last sharp look before drawing Myrtenaster and making her way to the doors. Yang and Blake followed close behind and Ruby brought up the rear.

Her mind began to drift back to the brief Blackburn gave them. Until they found him again, she had to stay in contact with Atlas HQ and they had been quiet since he relayed they needed the QRF faster. Her hand pressed down on her radio and she tried to mimic what she had seen the assistant professor doing.

"Overlord, this is Stalker One. What's the status of the QRF? Over," said Ruby.

"Stalker One, the QRF will be on station in five mikes. If you want CAS you have to paint your target since you are danger close. Out," Overlord answered back.

"Um, paint the target?" Ruby looked back at Weiss for clarification.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Mark it so they know what to hit, you dolt!"

"Gah! Well, he could have just said that! I don't speak military mumbo jumbo!" Ruby waved her hands.

Yang hurried to the doors and with a hard punch, blasted them open with her gauntlets. The doors burst off their hinges and hit two unsuspecting White Fang personnel. The ten others looked between their knocked out comrades and the four of them as if hesitant to engage.

"You boys here for the party?" Yang punched her fists together with a wide smirk on her face.

The squad shook off their surprise and charged at the four of them.

"Bumblebee!" Ruby said to Blake and Yang.

With a flick of her wrist, Blake let loose Gambol Shroud's grip and it soared for the blonde. Yang grabbed it firmly and took a couple of steps before propelling herself forward with a blast. She was guided in a sweeping arc as Blake spun on her heel. Loud bangs filled the lot as Ember Celica fired shell after shell at each White Fang member she closed in on. Shots of red rained down like fireballs and collided with Faunus and ground alike.

The squad dispersed and sought cover nearby to put distance between themselves and Yang and Blake's team attack. Those that got behind cover had dust rifles aimed for them and prepared to fire.

"Watch out!" Weiss jumped in front of her team, fingers outstretch and a glyph summoned under her.

The ground cracked loudly and then burst upright in the shape of a small mound just in time. Bullets snapped loudly and ricocheted off the wall of rock that Weiss had summoned. She and Ruby crouched behind the erected earth and took the chance to reload their weapons.

"Yang! Blake! Start clearing the next warehouse! Weiss and I will catch up after we take care of these guys!" Ruby shouted.

"You got it, Sis!" Yang gave a two-fingered wave.

Yang and Blake took off for the second warehouse and blasted the doors opened and disappeared from sight.

"Got any ideas?" Weiss nodded towards their shooters.

Ruby's mind was racing a mile a minute. After coming up with handfuls of team attacks during training, she had become savvier with thinking on the spot. The decisions, albeit hasty, worked in her favor the majority of the time and she had no doubt this next one would be any different.

"I'll draw their fire. You cut around the side and knock them down," said Ruby.

"I can do that," said Weiss with an air of confidence.

Ruby held up three fingers in a countdown and Weiss nodded back. Once her last finger dropped, she jumped on top of their cover and started strafing, firing one shot after the next from Crescent Rose. Her silver eyes picked up red, yellow and white tracer rounds as they flew at her. She jumped and fired Crescent Rose under her and flew high into the air to land on top of the warehouse.

With fast hands she dropped her empty magazine and loaded a fresh one before running along the rooftop returning fire. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a white blur on the far edge of the lot curving around the side unnoticed and it drew closer to the shooters.

Weiss moved with perfect speed and struck each White Fang member while their backs were turned. Her nonstop dash sent them airborne, making them resemble fish breaching the sea's surface. After she knocked out the last attacker, she slowed to a stop and straightened out the crease in her pants.

"Nice job, BFF!" Ruby hollered from the roof.

She giggled when Weiss acknowledged her with a wave of dismissal. She hopped off the roof and landed on the ground, stumbling forward.

"We better get inside to help. Who knows how many of them Blake and Yang are fighting," said Weiss.

"You're right. Let's go." Ruby nodded back.

They started to make their way to the side of the warehouse, but stopped when they heard a distant roar. The roar grew louder and louder until it zoomed directly over the compound. The sheer speed of the aircraft made the warehouse rattle and the ground shake.

"Stalker One this is Gunfighter Six standing by to provide close air support, over," came the pilot's voice.

"Got it, Gunfighter Six. We'll give you a call if we need help," said Ruby.

"Roger that. Maintaining loop around the compound. Out."

Ruby and Weiss jogged over to the side door of the warehouse. With a nod at each other, Ruby took care of the door with two blasts and they stormed inside. Unlike the last facility, it was pitch black inside. They could barely make out the outlines of stacks of boxes and shipping containers. It was also quiet.

"We need to be careful. Faunus have the advantage over us in here until we turn on some lights," Weiss whispered.

"You're right," Ruby whispered back in agreement.

She shifted Crescent Rose back into its scythe form and crept forward. Her boots barely made a sound as she felt her way around in the darkness.

Her nerves were steady, and her eyes narrowed to try and spot the smallest movement. She could feel Weiss close behind her as they trekked through the labyrinth of SDC supplies. The silence had her alert.

Blake and Yang had come in to clear the warehouse prior to them entering, so there should have been sounds of a fight. On top of that, Blake would have been able to see any enemies waiting for them. With that in mind, there was only two possibilities. First, they got surrounded by White Fang that were hiding in the dark. Second, Blake was using stealth to clear the warehouse, which was more likely.

Ruby froze and her head snapped to the left. It was faint, but she swore she heard something move. She slowly lowered Crescent Rose so that she could fire a straight shot. Her fingertip rested on the trigger. If she was about to get ambushed, she wasn't going to lose, that was for sure.

A loud creek of wood met her ears and she looked up to the stack of boxes on her left. She couldn't see anything, but she knew there was someone standing there. The air shifted and Ruby soon found herself tackled to the floor by a heavy person. Crescent Rose landed with a loud clatter to her side and her hands quickly went to try and pry the vice grip off her neck.

Her legs squirmed as the air in her lungs was cut off.

"Ruby!" Weiss dashed forward.

A bright, glyph appeared in the air behind them and Weiss jumped with a high kick. Her heel buried itself into the assailant's cheek and launched him back into the glyph. The second the man hit the glyph, he let out a grunt and was launched back as if shot out of a cannon. A thunderous crash followed as crates toppled over and fell from their stacked state.

"Are you okay?" Weiss pulled her up.

"Yeah. Thanks," Ruby replied rubbing her neck tenderly.

"Hang on."

Weiss reached for one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out an orange dust crystal. She slammed the crystal on a nearby crate and it began to glow bright. She then tossed it high into the air and it burst into a fiery light, illuminating the room.

"That's better," said Weiss.

"Yeah, good idea. I'm going to try and raise Blake and Yang, so watch for…" Ruby said before looking at the ground.

She squinted in the burning light and was able to make out another dust crystal. She looked back up at Weiss and pointed down at the floor.

"Did you drop one?" Ruby asked.

"Drop one what?" Weiss asked back looking down.

The crystal glowed bright. In a burst of speed, Ruby grabbed Weiss' hand and pulled with all of her might. No sooner had she pulled her partner away from the crystal, it exploded with a loud bang. A red and orange flash filled her vision and the blast caught both of them.

Ruby felt Weiss' hand slip from hers, but could not even call out for her. Her voice was drowned out as the air was sucked from her lungs with the force of the blast. A loud, annoying ringing sensation flooded her ears.

She slammed into another stack of crates and knocked them over as she fell to the floor. Her arms covered her head and she clenched her teeth in pain. One crate after the next fell and buried her much like it did to the man who attacked her a minute earlier.

Her eyes fluttered when she felt something trickle down the side of her face. She reached to wipe it off and her hand came back scarlet as blood dripped from her fingertips.

 _"If my Aura's gone, Weiss' is gone too."_ She grimaced.

Not good.

Her eyes took in the damage left behind from the explosion of the dust crystal. The entire room was now ablaze with thick smoke blocking out the ceiling. She jumped in surprise when another loud boom sounded from the far end of the warehouse and another wall of fire met her vision. The smoke danced and swirled violently as if stirred by a gust of wind. It shifted and began to filter out of the warehouse in the new opening.

Somewhere to her right she heard a hacking cough.

"Weiss?" Ruby called out. "Is that you?"

"Yes!" She coughed back.

"Are you okay?"

"My Aura's gone."

Weiss crawled into her vision looking no better than she did. Her face was stained with sweat and black spots of soot. Blood was oozing out of a cut on her cheek and the sleeves of her shirt were stained red with blood as well.

"You need to clean that up," said Ruby motioned to her injuries.

"It looks worse than it is." Weiss shook her head.

Her partner got to her feet and lifted up the pile of debris just enough for her to wiggle out. She sat against the rubble and Weiss took a seat next to her, holding Myrtenaster in her hand.

"Stalker Four, where are you?" Ruby coughed as she tried to reach Yang.

"We're coming to you now! We were surrounded, but those guys bailed when everything went up in flames!" Yang answered back.

"Once you get here, we're going to get outside and wait for that SOF team to get here and finish up."

"Sounds like a plan. Yang in there, Sis!"

Ruby let out a groan at the cheesy pun her sister finished with and shook her head. She heard Weiss sigh off to her side.

"I'm going to get your weapon, so sit here for a second," said Weiss as she got to her feet.

Ruby just rose her hand to acknowledge her partner's words and watched her as she hurried across the room to retrieve Crescent Rose. She bent down to pick up the large scythe, but stood up quickly and held Myrtenaster with both hands.

She was about to ask Weiss what was wrong, but got her answer when a tall teenager appeared out of the smoky haze like a phantom and slammed into her. Weiss staggered back and fell spread eagle, dropping Myrtenaster in the process. The teen that towered above her had his rifle aimed for her and ready to fire.

"Weiss!" Ruby got to her feet, but fell when she tried to move forward.

Gunfire met her ears, but it wasn't from the rifle in the teen's arms. It came from behind him, garnering his attention. Through the smoke Ruby was able to spot another tall being with a small one trotting off to his side.

Another gunshot came, and then another and another. Each shot made the teenager stagger back as if struck with a hard blow. He dropped his rifle and continued his retreat to the center of the room. Weiss' rescuer appeared a second later. It was Blackburn.

The young professor looked rough. Parts of his clothes were torn, soaked with sweat, ash and blood. There was blood racing down his face, mixing with the soot. His brown eyes were fixed in a fierce glare that seemed to grow more intense with each step and shot he fired into the teenager.

Ruby watched Blackburn's lips twist into a cruel sneer. It was unnerving to see him in this state. She was used to seeing him laid back and joking, only raising his voice and chewing someone out if they deserved it. This new side of him was the complete opposite. This was the soldier that was trained to eliminate any immediate threat.

Blackburn's next shot struck the kid in the chest. The teen went rigid and fell back to the floor and landed with a haunting thud. The kid's chest rose and fell rapidly as shock and adrenaline ran through him from the handful of bullets in his body.

She rolled to her side and saw Blake and Yang appear from around the mountain of crates. Yang ran to her and Blake hurried over to Weiss.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked sitting her up gently.

"I'm fine. It looks worse than it is." Ruby took a leaf from her partner's book.

Her eyes shifted back to Blackburn who walked up to the fallen teen who was still gasping for breath. He kicked the teen's foot and raised his gun again.

The lone shot made her jump as it struck the teen in the head, killing him. Blackburn's pistol was locked back to signal an empty magazine. She had no idea how many times Blackburn shot the kid, but it was enough to finish off his Aura and kill him.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Blake and Weiss looking at him in shock from the brutality he showed.

"Professor Blackburn, are you okay?" Ruby found her voice.

Her voice seemed to snap him out of his state. He shook his head and looked up at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you four?" He asked taking a step towards her.

"We're okay. Let's get outside and wait for that SOF team and they can finish the job."

"Good idea…"

Blackburn's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground with a hard thud. His body began to shake into a violent series of spasms.

"Connor!" Ruby and Yang hurried to him.

Yang gently rolled him to his side and held his head in her lap.

"Outlaw, Stalker One, where are you?" Ruby asked.

"Be advised Stalker One, we are landing in the compound now. Is the area secure? Over," Outlaw's team leader answered back.

"The first two warehouses have been cleared, the third one needs to be searched yet. We need help, now!"

"Hold on, we're moving to you. Out."

Ruby looked down at Blackburn to see his body stopped with the spasms and he was unconscious.

"Yang, can you carry him out of here?" Ruby asked.

"I got him." She nodded back.

It took her a moment, but Yang was able to pick up Blackburn and slung him over her shoulder to carry him out. Weiss and Blake walked up to them with the former handing her Crescent Rose back.

"What just happened with him?" Weiss frowned.

Ruby only shook her head.

"We can figure that out later. We need to get him outside and to a medic," said Yang.

Yang adjusted her grip on Blackburn and marched to the fresh opening in the warehouse with Blake, Weiss and Ruby in tow. When they stepped outside they were greeted with fresh air and two squads of Atlas personnel.

"How long has he been out?" Asked the team leader who pointed at Blackburn.

"He passed out two minutes ago after a seizure," said Yang.

"Okay. Well, from the look of it I'd say you five are done for the night. We can take it from here. We'll get you on that Bullhead and back home."

"Sounds good."

The team leader whistled loudly and beckoned one of his men to hurry over. The soldier stopped and unfolded a litter and rested it on the ground. He then helped Yang set Blackburn on it so they could carry him to the Bullhead.

"Let's go," said the medic.

The medics moved Blackburn towards the Bullhead, leaving Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang alone.

They looked around the compound and at the Atlas soldiers who were scouring every inch of it to make sure it was secure. Slowly but surely a mass of White Fang prisoners were being gathered near the center of the lot having been roused from their unconscious state.

"Come on, let's go," said Ruby as she began her trek to the Bullhead.

Weiss, Blake and Yang followed her to the ship.

"Do any of you have to use the restroom?" Weiss asked.

"No. Why?" Yang looked at her with a grin. "Do you have to go again?"

Weiss' face flushed and she sent a sharp glare at the blonde.

"I never went in the first place! You're out of your mind to think I would do something like that in the woods!" She retorted.

Ruby tuned out of the conversation and her thoughts drifted back to what she saw in the warehouse. She frowned and subconsciously rubbed her hands together roughly. Her mind kept replaying Blackburn's brutal rescue of Weiss. The anger in his eyes that was shown with each flash from his pistol when he fired it made her clench her fists tight.

Anger was one thing that could be understandable given that situation. He had found them with Weiss about to be killed, so that may have been the trigger to it, but at the same time she felt as though it went deeper than that. Like that anger had been there long before, dormant.

She was brought back to reality when she reached the far end of the Bullhead's cabin. The litter was stretched out across the cabin between her and the cockpit for support. The medics were tending to Blackburn and getting him cleaned up.

Ruby sat a couple of seats down to give the medics space. Yang sat down beside her with Weiss and Blake sitting across from them. Zwei barked and hopped up to plop down on her left. She smiled lightly and let her hand rush through Zwei's matted fur.

"Hey buddy," she said.

The Bullhead's engine roared to life and took to the air to begin its journey back to Vale.

"Overlord, Stalker One," said Ruby.

"Go ahead, Stalker One," Overlord answered back.

"The White Fang compound has been secured. SOF teams are rounding up prisoners and securing SDC supplies that was not loaded on the train."

"Good copy, Stalker One. Are there any casualties?"

"No. We're all still here. Our team leader had a seizure and is unconscious now."

There was a short pause.

"Roger, return to base. Out."

Ruby took her hand off of her radio and let out a sigh as her head rested against the back of her seat. Her eyelids were heavy, sleep ready to overpower her. She cast a glance at her teammates who were already sound asleep, the events of the day finally catching up with them.

A small weight leaned against her leg and she gently scratched Zwei's head one last time before her eyes shut and she let sleep claim her, too.

* * *

 **There we go. Nice long chapter after a long wait. I would like to take the time and thank all of my followers and reviewers of the story here. I know OC stories get tons of flak because they tend to be written by author's wo have no idea on how to write one, and the amount of success this story has had here makes me happy that I seem to not fall into that category, so again thanks for the support. It means a lot to me. Here's hoping we break 100 reviews with this chapter. Either way, I'll definitely reach that milestone with this story soon.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Like I said before. No more update expectations for the story here. It'll be updated when the next chapter's ready.**

 **2.) Blackburn's little brief that I highlighted in the chapter as the who, what, when, where, why? Is base on the five paragraph mission format that soldiers learn, receive and brief when it comes to missions or any big event called the OPORD. I know I glazed over it a bit and didn't get into the nuts and bolts, but to be fair, do you really want to read part a of a chapter dedicated to that alone? I'll answer that for you now, fuck no you don't.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **AO: Area of Operations**

 **BOLO: Be On the Look Out**

 **CAS: Close Air Support**

 **ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival**

 **E-Tool: Entrenching Tool (literally a portable shovel)**

 **HQ: Headquarters**

 **HVI: High Value Individual**

 **Litter: Stretcher**

 **Mike/Mic: Minute**

 **Murphy (Murphy's Law): The principle that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.**

 **NOD: Night Observation Device (Night vision goggles)**

 **Patrol Base: Temporary position that is occupied for no more than 24 hours**

 **QRF: Quick Reaction Force**

 **Sand Table: A table sized model of the entire area of operations that shows every terrain feature to help paint a picture of what you will be up against.**

 **SITREP: Situation Report**

 **SOF: Special Operations Forces**

 **Story Shout Outs:**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 5/26/17**

 **"It's My Turn to feel Out of Place" collaboration between Le MAO XVII and JC of the Corn updated: 6/11/2017**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Maverick058: Thanks for the review. Now technically speaking, yes there are better plate carriers than the IBA and theoretically speaking it would be wise to do a drug deal to get the better ones, but that armor doesn't exist in Remnant. He's using his semi-damaged IBA. An in all honesty, I only gave him the IBA since that was the one I was most familiar with when I train and the one I used.**

 **BadHum3r: It's a term that I felt needed to be highlighted since it's used frequently in the military.**

 **OBSERVER01: I guess you can look at it like that? I try to avoid Call of Duty scenarios with things like this since they are like the Michael Bay movies of first person shooters. Fun to play, but ultimately glorify and dramatize a lot of things. Thanks for the review.**

 **Goldspark1: Thanks for the review as always. I wanted to capture Blackburn's anxiousness since he's never led a team before despite being a junior enlisted soldier and jumping headfirst into something like this is stressful when you don't have experience. Now, although Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang have superior combat capabilities and stamina, if you're not used to doing something repeatedly, you'll naturally get worn out quick. Ruck marching eats up your feet when you start doing it and it makes them stronger the more you do it, so for their first time, it only made sense to have them experience that.**


	24. Heart to Heart

**Man, where does the time go? Just realized it's been three months since I updated this story, so let's fix that right now. Before we begin I want to thank all of you who followed, favorited and reviewed the story. I have reached two milestones with this. The story broke 100 reviews after the last update, and hopefully that number will rise as the story goes on. The second milestone is that the story has over 50k hits with each chapter well over 1,000 a piece. That's pretty damn good for an OC story in my eyes, so thanks a bunch for the support!**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

 _Blackburn found himself running down the messy street with the two members of the gun team he plucked from the perimeter earlier. Far ahead he could see a tall structure that ran along the entirety of the clearing and disappearing around the corners of the houses on both sides of the street. The smoke that rose from the gate was pitch black and swallowed all the sunlight that managed to find its way through the veil. If he squinted he could make out dozens of flying creatures that were being met by tracer rounds from dust rifles._

 _Distant screeches, howls and caws grew louder with each stride the three of them made. His eyes could make out several Grimm, specifically Nevermore. Turning his gaze to the rooftops he could see a large Nevermore bearing down towards him and his team._

 _"Nevermore, two o'clock high!" He aimed his dust rifle at it._

 _His finger coiled around the trigger and gave a gentle pull. The butt of the rifle kicked against his shoulder with a light thump as it let loose a three round burst. His ears rang a second later as the heavy MG behind him opened fire and unleashed a barrage of rounds._

 _The Nevermore screeched in rage and pain, but it was quick to die. Their bullets met the creature head on and sliced in clear in half, causing the dissolving remnants of its dissected body to soar towards them._

 _Blackburn dove and covered his head and he could make out the heavy thuds of the gun team as they mimicked his movements. A loud crash sounded and the ground vibrated violently as the large Nevermore landed on the remains of a burning house nearby. Glass rained and tinkled as it hit the street._

 _Blackburn lifted his head and pushed his helmet up. He looked back at his gun team and saw them sitting up as well._

 _"You two up?" He raised a thumb._

 _"We're good, Sergeant!" The corporal returned his thumb._

 _"Sergeant? What?"_

 _He didn't have time to dwell on the corporal's words, but he made a note of it for later. Why was he being addressed as a sergeant? He was a specialist. Just what was going on here? Why couldn't he remember anything? He could remember the call signs of their fellow squads and for Winter, but he could not remember how he got there or what was going on._

 _They reached the gate and Blackburn felt the color drain from his face. He had been through his fair share of firefights and seen corpses, but this was something else entirely. The frantic cries for reinforcements from Wolverine Actual was for good reason. The entire wall did not have one spot free of blood or a body. Some bodies were spread out as far as the main square, almost like they were picked up and tossed or even carried before being dropped._

 _There was not one soldier who wasn't fighting with whatever strength hey had left, regardless of their state. Some continued to fight as they bled out, and others tried to nurse their wounds that ranged from missing limbs or broken bones. He even spotted a couple of soldiers running to each of their fallen friends and take their ammo to disperse to the remaining men._

 _"Wolverine Actual, Wildcat-Two, we've reached the gate. I have a gun team with me. Where do you want us?" Blackburn asked into his radio._

 _"It's about fuckin' time, Sergeant! Get up here by the doors and set up opposite my MG!" The lieutenant answered back._

 _"Roger, we're moving now!"_

 _He ushered his team to the crimson stained staircase and wasted no time bolting up it. His boots splashed in blood puddles on the way up, and it took everything in his power to not look down at them._

 _A frightened scream came from above and he took the chance to look in its direction. His eyes caught sight of a flock of Nevermore soaring over like a swarm of angry bees. One soldier was carried off in the beak of one by his arm and another was catapulted over the side. The soldier's body hit the staircase with a sickening crunch and bounced off and fell to the square below._

 _"Come on, let's go!" His feet skipped a couple of steps as he resumed moving._

 _He reached the top of the stairs with his team and looked over at the large wooden gates that were sealed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a horde of black creatures with glowing red eyes skulking towards the wall through the fields. He swallowed lightly and hurried over to the left side of the gate to take position like the lieutenant ordered him._

 _"Wildcat Actual, Wildcat-Two, we have linked up with Wolverine Actual at the gate and are holding our position. Over," said Blackburn._

 _"Understood. We are evacuating another group of civilians at this time, break. We have another wave of transportation coming in five minutes. Be ready to break contact. Over," Winter replied._

 _"Roger that, we'll break contact in five minutes. Over."_

 _"Wildcat-Two, what is Wolverine Actual's disposition?_

 _Blackburn was silent as he cast his eyes over to the lieutenant who finished directing the fire of his gun team out to the left. The young officer met his gaze and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and shook his head. The kid lost too many to count at this point._

 _"I only have eight guys that can fight, not counting the ones who are wounded. Otherwise we'd be at twenty," said the lieutenant._

 _"How many can move on their own?" Blackburn asked._

 _"All but four."_

 _"Okay. We carry those that can't run, and the rest of us will have to suck it up and haul ass."_

 _He had avoided talking about the big problem in front of them. The lieutenant offered a curt nod in agreement._

 _"We'll have to leave the dead," said the lieutenant._

 _Blackburn silently nodded back and bit his lip. It was a shitty thing to do. Back when he was still with the U.S. Army they lived with a code, their warrior ethos. Under no circumstances do you leave a man behind. Dead or alive, you brought your brothers home regardless of their state. However, this situation was far beyond their capabilities to make that a reality, and only a divine intervention would help them accomplish that feat._

 _Maybe after everything had settled they could come back for those they left behind, but now they had to look at the big picture. Getting those who needed immediate medical attention had to be loaded on the Bullheads and taken to base, or else they would need more caskets to fill by the end of the day._

 _"Lieutenant Burns, we got another Goliath coming in!" One of the gunners yelled._

 _Burns hopped to his feet and looked out in the direction the gunner pointed. His face was ashen as he stared out at the road._

 _"How much ammo do we have left?" Burns glanced at his gun team._

 _"This is our last belt, sir!" Said the assistant gunner as he slapped the top of the MG's cover to snap it shut._

 _Burns licked his lips and looked back at Blackburn._

 _"What about your gun team?" He asked._

 _"We got two belts, Sergeant!" Blackburn's gunner answered back._

 _Three belts, just a little over seven hundred rounds. Sounded like a lot, but it might as well have been a spray of a hose._

 _"Okay, listen up! Wait for that Goliath to get closer and then lay down the hate! We can't afford to waste ammo, so make every shot count!" Burns yelled as he took position between the gun teams._

 _Blackburn nodded at the plan the lieutenant came up with and reloaded his dust rifle. He stood beside Burns and lined up his shot. This supposed Goliath had the man scared, and now he could see why._

 _This Grimm in particular was huge and resembled an elephant. It had large, sharp white tusks jutting from its mouth and there was a thick white mask protecting its face. Its two glowing red eyes were fixated on one thing and one thing only. The large double doors of the town's gates. It trumpeted and began to pick up speed with each step, and the closer it got, the louder its large steps became. The ground itself shook and it vibrated up the wall and through their bodies._

 _"Stand by!" Burns kept his arm up._

 _The Goliath was almost within range and Blackburn could feel his legs shaking with anticipation and anxiety. If this didn't work, they would be thrown off the wall the second it made contact with it._

 _"Light him up!" Burns jabbed his fist in the Goliath's direction._

 _All the remaining soldiers opened fire on the towering Grimm when it got within three hundred meters. Loud, concentrated bursts of the machine guns sounded in his ears and in between them he could hear the controlled shots of the rifles. Red, orange and yellow tracers soared across the field in flashes of light that resembled shooting stars. Some made contact with the Goliath's mask and others rebounded off into the night and disappeared._

 _So far their attempt at stopping the creature proved futile and it only got closer, probably two hundred meters now._

 _"Keep up the fire! Give it all you got!" Burns yelled as he reloaded his rifle._

 _Blackburn followed suit and took aim at the Goliath's eye. Hitting a moving target was one thing, but trying to hit something that may as well have been microscopic was almost impossible. He did not have a clean shot with how fast it was moving and risked hitting the mask with each bob of the creature's head. One shot to the eye may be enough to slow it down at concentrate fire on a more vulnerable side, but it was risky._

 _He took a deep breath to steady his arms and lead his shot. The tip of his rifle inched just ahead of the creature's right eye and his fingertip rested on the trigger. His breath steadied and he waited for the natural pause in it before he pulled. A flash from his muzzle came and not a second later a loud wail from the creature as it jerked its head wildly to the side and stumbled forward._

 _"Don't let it through! Gun it down!" Burns continued firing._

 _"Jam! Jam!" Blackburn heard his gunner yell._

 _Taking the chance to help, he hurried over to his gun team and could see the bullet caught in the chamber. The assistant gunner quickly popped the cover of the gun to retract it, his hands shaking with adrenaline and fear._

 _"Come on! Come on!" Burns yelled again._

 _By this point the entire wall was shaking and the empty cases rattled on the floor and rained to the ground below. He could hear screams from all the men on the gate as the Goliath was now one hundred meters away._

 _"Watch out!" Yelled one soldier._

 _"Shit! Brace!" Burns hollered up and down the wall as he pressed against it with everything he had._

 _Blackburn glanced over the top of the wall and just saw the white mask of the creature looking back at him. It all happened so fast that he barely registered what was going on. The wall he was standing a second earlier was now gone and he could see sky and ground as he was lifted into the air along with Lieutenant Burns and the men that were on top of the gate. Their cries were distant and he could vaguely make out the horrified expressions of some of the soldiers as they prepared to meet their end._

 _His eyes were fixed on Lieutenant Burns, though. His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth agape in a silent scream, perhaps pain, or maybe the air was sucked from him and he was stunned. Seeing it brought back a memory of his own, one way back in Afghanistan where he could remember Lieutenant Coen with that same thunderstruck look. The realization that you were screwed, and there was not a damn thing you could do about it._

 _Lieutenant Burns was carried out of sight quickly after being intercepted by a Nevermore mid throw. The last sight Blackburn got of the lieutenant was his red hair disappearing through the smoky veil with the Nevermore._

 _His stomach dropped and he soon forgot about the young officer and was brought back to reality. He was falling to the square below and he could see the ground approaching fast. There was little he could do, so he did the best thing he could. He brought his arms up in front of his face and tucked his legs in to cushion his fall. White hot pain filled him a second later a scream tore itself from his throat and his eyes screwed shut as sharp stabs flew up his legs and his arm. He rolled to a stop and he bit down hard on his lip to keep a whimper from leaving him._

 _It hurt so bad! What did he break? His legs and his arm? Or was he fortunate enough to only have his Aura shattered after taking the hit? Either way, he could not move. His eyes cracked open, and through his tears he could see what was left of the gate they tried so desperately to defend._

 _The gate was demolished and the wall that held it was caved in from both sides. Rubble was strewn into the square burying what was left of Lieutenant Burns' platoon. Some of the soldiers that escaped the blast were crawling and limping away with whatever strength they could muster, doing everything in their power to try and make it back to the center of the city where the evacuation site was. As for the Goliath, its body was dissolving, just barely inside the wall. It was gone, but now it cleared a path for the smaller Grimm outside to pour in._

 _And they soon came. Dozens of red eyed creatures skulked into the wall and gave chase to the fleeing soldiers, detecting their fear and desperation. Screams soon filled the square as the remaining soldiers were torn to shreds. Teeth sinking into flesh and tearing it apart filled his vision and he screwed his eyes shut._

 _Blackburn lowered his head to the ground and took a deep breath to calm down and steady his nerves. His radio sparked to life and Winter's voice came through._

 _"Wolverine Actual, Wildcat Actual, do you copy? Over."_

 _Winter's voice grew distant as his eyes got heavier. They soon closed and he fell out of consciousness, and soon Winter's voice was gone._

* * *

Winter's lips were pursed in a frown as she stared at Blackburn's comatose state. The mission itself had been a success, thankfully. After her team along with Professor Port's and Doctor Oobleck's came back empty handed, she was sure that this mission was a lost cause. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. When she heard that Blackburn's team came across valuable intelligence in the compound they raided, she grew ecstatic.

The strike team searched the compound after Blackburn's team cleared it and recovered a stockpile of SDC supplies and a dossier that gave two sets of grid coordinates that were more than likely compounds that the White Fang were using, if their analysts were right. On top of that, from the mission debriefing, she got wind that Blackburn had found a possible HVI for the White Fang and that he had taken some photos with his scroll, but that was the problem.

She did not have access to his scroll since he had a safety combination in place, and until he woke up, she had limited options. This was their first lead in a long while and she was not going to lose it.

She took a couple of steps to his bed and looked at the bedside table. His scroll was set atop of it along with a fresh set of clothes for whenever he regained consciousness. Her hand reached out and picked up the scroll. The second she did she felt something build in the pit of her stomach. It was heavy and it grew by the second as she tucked the scroll into her pocket. Her eyes looked down at Blackburn's face and her frown went from bitter to guilt-ridden.

The soot and blood had been cleaned from his face to show the healing cuts. He looked calm and relaxed, not having a care in the world. He could not grant her permission to take his scroll, and here she was stealing it. It was definitely a great way of thanking him for holding up his end of the bargain to carry out the mission and keeping Weiss safe.

"I'm sorry, Blackburn," said Winter.

She turned on her heel and marched out of his room, the pit in her stomach growing tremendously as she did so. Another set of footsteps came from the side of the door and from the corner of her eye she could see Sergeant Green.

"How is he?" Green jerked his thumb back at the room.

"Stable. The doctors said he had some sort of seizure at the end of the mission that they believe is the result of Aura exhaustion," said Winter. "It put him in a coma."

"Did they say how long he'd be out for?"

At least there was some positives in this.

"The average coma from Aura exhaustion is about a week, so I would expect him to be up by Monday," said Winter.

"That's good news. I was worried he'd end up like Sergeant Silva…" Green trailed off and his eyes widened briefly at his slip of the tongue.

Winter winced at her subordinate's words and felt her hands clench into fists from the reminder. That was the last thing on her mind, and now it was the most prominent thing. She knew full well what could happen with that better than anyone. The fact that it had the chance to happen to Blackburn slipped her mind, but now it was surreal. History could have just as easily repeated itself, and to someone who she had come to see as a good friend.

Taking a moment to clear her mind of the morbid thought, she took a deep breath.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Green tried to amend for his slip.

She merely held up a hand and smiled back softly.

"Sergeant Green, it is fine. I know you mean well," said Winter. "But please keep anything regarding Sergeant Silva to yourself."

"Yes Ma'am," he answered back with a nod.

The two of them silently walked to the main deck, not once making eye contact. When they reached the deck, Sergeant Green went in first and stood off to the side to allow her to move to Ironwood. She offered a sideways glance at Green and a subtle nod before moving to the general.

"Sir!" Winter saluted.

"At ease, Lieutenant Schnee," General Ironwood dismissed her formality with a wave of his hand.

"Sir, I have Blackburn's scroll here. It contains the photos of the possible HVI he found in that compound."

Ironwood nodded and stood aside for her to move forward. She stepped up to the row of consoles being operated by their analysts and handed Blackburn's scroll over to the nearest specialist.

"The scroll has a combination lock. You will have to crack it in order to get access to the photos Blackburn took," said Winter.

"We'll work on it right away, Ma'am." The specialist nodded back.

"Can you give me a timeline for when you may have the lock broken?"

"Six hours or so, Ma'am. We can run it through the system and let the computer find the combination using algorithms."

"Very well. Let me know once you have it cracked."

The specialist saluted her and she watched him sit at his terminal and link the scroll up through the computer. The overhead monitor came to life and revealed a four space combination to be put in place. Dozens of numbers raced through each spot and slowed to a stop with a potential first code, but the screen flashed red a second later signaling the incorrect code. It resumed a moment later and numbers began scrambling again.

Winter sighed through her nose and folded her arms behind her back. She had already collected the reports from her teams and filed them for General Ironwood earlier, and she could only wait until the specialists cracked the code on Blackburn's scroll before she could carry on with anything else. There was little she could do now, and she hated it. One thing she really enjoyed about being in the Atlas Military and active duty was that there was always something to do and it helped the day go by faster.

However, with everything completed, she was welcomed with a lot of downtime. Nothing was worse than sitting around and waiting for people like her. Thankfully she had an out.

"General Ironwood." She turned to face her superior.

"Yes?" Ironwood looked back at her.

"Would I be out of line for asking to have the afternoon off?"

Ironwood tilted his head in curiosity and crossed his arms.

"I don't see why not. You have a lot of leave saved up, and you have been working hard," said Ironwood with a light shrug.

"Thank you, sir!" She saluted back.

"Of course, Lieutenant."

He returned her salute and Winter marched out of the room and made her way back to her quarters. Now that she had the afternoon off, it was time to make good on a promise.

* * *

Winter found it odd to be in civilian clothes more and more lately. She had grown so used to wearing her service uniform day in and day out save for sleeping, and only now started to remember just how much she missed wearing them. They were comfy and liberating, not confining her to a status with a rank or image. Now she was just a normal person that could walk among others without getting so much as a second look. It was a refreshing feeling, and she had General Ironwood to thank for that.

She always took his words to heart, and the last advice he gave her was what she had been living by lately. Her heels clicked on the ground as she walked down the path to Beacon's entrance. Weiss was supposed to meet her there after she sent her a message before leaving. It had been a long time since the two of them talked alone, and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Winter looked up and could see her younger sister standing in the entrance hall waiting for her. She was wringing her hands as if anxious about her upcoming conversation with her.

"Good afternoon, Weiss," Winter greeted her with a smile.

"Winter!" Weiss beamed back as she hurried to her.

Weiss came to a grinding halt and her cheeks were pink with embarrassment with the drop of her formal demeanor. She soon bowed her head and her knees dipped into a curtsey. Normally this is what Winter would expect from her sister, but she had lightened up a lot since then.

"Weiss, stand up. There is no need to be so formal," she said.

Weiss met her gaze, surprise evident in her eyes. It soon vanished and a smile returned to her face as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. She wrapped her arms around Weiss and pulled her in close and she could feel her sister's small arms tighten even more.

"I've waited so long to spend time with you, Winter," said Weiss.

"I know," said Winter, pulling away from her just enough to look down at her face. "We have plenty of time now. So let's make the most of it."

Weiss smiled again and withdrew her arms to walk alongside her. She followed her through the school and was given the grand tour. Their trip led them from the entrance hall, to the dining hall, the classrooms, the library, the combat arena, and then to Weiss' dorm. Needless to say, she was not too keen with the makeshift bunkbed layout. Although it was innovative, it looked too unsafe for her taste, but she let it slide since her sister took pride in the setup and appeared more than happy. Happier than she had seen her in years.

They walked down to the gardens and found a secluded spot near one of the ponds and sat down. The shade offered relief from the sweltering sun. Winter leaned back in her chair and her eyes cast to the pond where she spotted a small family of ducks near the edge of it.

"What did you think of the school?" Weiss asked her.

Although Winter had been to the school before, she never went on an in depth tour like her sister gave her. It was usually just a quick stop in the entrance hall for directions and then to the person she had to report to, then she would take her leave when everything was said and done. While in her eyes it paled in comparison to Atlas Academy, it was more than acceptable for a Huntress in training, especially if it made Weiss happy at the end of the day. Her sister had made friends and could not stop talking about the school and the daily life she had while attending it.

"While I prefer Atlas Academy, this was more than acceptable," said Winter. "I felt that the combat arena was extraordinary."

Weiss' smile grew and she nodded happily.

"It is great, isn't it? Although I don't mind the homework, I enjoy combat class the most. It allows me to test myself and grow stronger against my peers. I'm near the top of the class, but there are still a couple ahead of me," said Weiss.

"I would expect nothing less," said Winter. "I am curious, though. Who is ahead of you?"

"Ah, well, Pyrrha Nikos of Team JNPR and my teammate Yang."

"Pyrrha Nikos I can understand. She has been recognized as the strongest Huntress in training of your generation. Your teammate, however, is another story. I trust she won't remain ahead of you for long?"

Weiss shook her head adamantly making her smile lightly.

"Of course not! I will be ranked second soon enough," said Weiss with an air of confidence.

"Excellent. I know how strong you are and how much potential you have, so it is only natural that you will surpass her, and eventually Pyrrha." Winter wiped some sweat away from her brow.

Winter watched the small flock of ducks wade into the pond and paddle themselves to the center of it. The ducklings trailed behind their mother who kept a close eye on them.

"Which reminds me," said Winter turning to Weiss. "Have you made any more progress with your Semblance? Your glyphs have always been great, but you have lacked with your summoning."

Weiss grimaced and her eyes turned to the ground giving her the answer she wanted. She sighed and turned to face her sister and gave her a moment to swallow her embarrassment before they locked eyes again.

"I can't." Weiss' voice was barely audible.

"Don't be ridiculous. Every Schnee has the ability to summon," Winter tried to encourage her.

Weiss was fast with her comeback and her tone was laced with frustration.

"I've tried! It's just… it's the one thing that I'm having trouble with!"

Winter's eyes narrowed and grew sharp. Weiss quickly took note of it and uttered an apology as she shifted in her seat.

She sighed and leaned forward on the table.

"Our family is unique, because unlike most, our Semblance is hereditary. Although that doesn't mean it will come naturally," said Winter

"Well, obviously not. Everything requires work," Weiss grumbled.

"Precisely, and it is no different for achieving your grades and growing stronger in combat," said Winter as she held out her hand, conjuring a small glyph with it.

"Think of your Semblance as a muscle. The more you use it, the more it will grow and become defined. But if you only focus on one aspect of it and never push your limits, then you'll never truly grow."

Her glyph flashed bright and made Weiss shield her eyes from the intensity. A new presence stood off to her side in the form of a pure white Beowolf with blue eyes. She reached up and gently stroked its face, silently enjoying the look of awe her sister had.

The Beowolf vanished in another flash of light, snapping Weiss from her daze.

"I'll tell you what, the next time I have free time, I will help you practice it," said Winter.

"Really?" Weiss perked up.

"Of course. You need some guidance, and I'm the best one to give it to you."

"I'd like that. Thank you, Winter."

Winter smiled at her sister and they stared off at the flock of ducks that continued to tread in the pond. The ducks dunked their heads in the water and splashed around to cool themselves off from the heat. It did not take long for the ducklings to huddle close to their mother who let them nestle against her.

Seeing the whole interaction take place before her, Winter couldn't help but envy the ducklings. She never got much attention from her mother, especially since she was drunk and disconnected from everyone a majority of the time. The few times that her mother spent time with her felt forced and halfhearted. Like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.

"Which reminds me," said Weiss getting her attention. "Did father send you an invitation to that banquet back home?"

Winter frowned and a sigh left her lips. She had almost forgotten about that with everything that happened lately. Every year their father held a banquet and invited dozens of people to promote the SDC and make new business partners. However, the big thing she hated about each one she attended was not being surrounded by the aristocracy. When she joined the military she learned to care less about the class level people came from since the majority of them were low to mid class. No, what she hated the most was the men around her age that tried to woo her, or even the few her father had tried to set her up with to potentially lead to marriage.

Her fists clenched tight and she could feel her knuckles pop at the mere thought. The last three years she was met with a possible suitor courtesy of her father, and each one had been worse than the last. Each shared a few things. They were handsome, came from some noble family, and all of them were unbearably arrogant. None of them were there for her specifically, just a possible marriage attempt to increase the wealth for their family.

"I did," she muttered bitterly.

"And do you have an idea who he set you up with this time?" Weiss asked. "I'd imagine it would be someone rich."

Winter nodded and bit back the urge to roll her eyes.

"It does not matter. I'll just turn them down like I did to the others. Father will throw a fit like he always does, but it's nothing he hasn't heard before," she dismissed it with a shake of her head.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Weiss with a thoughtful look. She rose a brow and cleared her throat getting her attention. Weiss' face flushed a light red, but quickly vanished and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Can I suggest something?"

"Of course." Winter nodded back.

"Well, why not take somebody as a date to pose as your boyfriend? Father may be skeptical, but maybe he'll back off if you show up with someone."

Winter blinked and mulled it over silently. She never tried that approach, but after Weiss suggested it, she could not help but wonder if that was worth a chance. Deep down she had a gut feeling it would not matter regardless since her father was too tenacious with making his plans come into fruition. Then again, it was worth a shot to see how far he would go to waste time on her.

The only problem she could see would be trying to find someone to go along with the plan. She only had a few guy friends, but they were all stationed across Remnant and could not up and leave for something like a banquet. Given her status as an officer, she couldn't ask any of the lower enlisted either.

She dismissed the thought and shrugged lightly. She would have time to figure that out later.

"So, how is Professor Blackburn doing?" Weiss spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Winter broke from her thoughts.

"Professor Blackburn. Has he regained consciousness yet?"

Winter shook her head and could see Weiss frown just a little bit. The concern on her sister's face got her attention and she leaned back in her chair.

"Why did you want to know?" Winter asked.

"Well, because I was worried after he had that seizure at the end of the mission. Not only that, but he did save my life, too," Weiss answered back as she folded her arms.

"Wait, he saved your life?"

Winter had read through the report that her team had given, but it did not mention anything about Blackburn saving her. Now she wanted to know everything in full detail. She did not like it when reports left out key information, and she hoped Weiss had a good reason for omitting it.

Weiss nodded back and went on to explain what happened after she and Ruby entered the second warehouse. How they got ambushed, the dust crystal exploding, shattering their Aura and leaving them exposed. Right up to being held at gunpoint by the Faunus who caught her off guard.

"Professor Blackburn came out of nowhere and just shot him again, and again, and again," said Weiss as she looked down at the table with a furrowed brow.

"It wasn't a quick kill?" Winter folded her arms.

"No. Winter, it…"

Weiss shook her head and sighed as she tried to recall the disturbing sight.

"I'm not sure how to describe it," she spoke again. "I don't know if he was dazed from being hurt or what, but something was off with him."

Winter shifted in her seat. She could understand her sister's discomfort at what she had seen. Soldiers were trained to eliminate any threat they came across, and from the sound of it, Blackburn did just that. However, killing the kid the way he did was grounds for concern.

"Winter, it was more like an execution. I mean, that Faunus wasn't much older than me and he just shot him in the head after he incapacitated him," said Weiss.

"Weiss." Winter held up her hand to stop her. "I know this is hard to come to terms with, but he was doing his job."

"I know, but I can't get it out of my head. In class he told us that we could be faced with that at some point and that we would react differently, but it's surreal."

Winter reached out and gripped Weiss' shoulder tight and offered her a small smile.

"I understand where you are coming from, believe me. But if I were to be honest, I'm glad you experienced that sooner than later. As a Huntress you will face things like that and will have to make difficult choices. The sooner you get desensitized, the sooner you will be able to function," said Winter.

Weiss shook her head again and sighed. She offered her a small smile, undoubtedly forced, but it was one to signal the end of the conversation.

"What would you say seemed off about Blackburn when you saw him do that?" Winter asked.

Weiss closed her eyes and hummed under her breath. She waited patiently for her sister to come to her conclusion. When she finally opened her eyes, Weiss frowned.

"He was focused, but he looked angry. Furious, even," said Weiss.

"Well, that could be expected. That Faunus did try to kill you, and he could have taken that personally," Winter offered her opinion.

Weiss shook her head.

"No, Winter, I think it's more than that. Professor Blackburn doesn't strike me as the type to do something that violent. I think he snapped because he was repressing something, something similar to what happened that night," said Weiss.

"You're suggesting he did that because he was repressing something?" Winter asked, her mind backtracking to a talk she had with Blackburn a while ago.

Weiss nodded and ran a hand through her hair as she looked back at her.

"Has he ever told you anything about his time as a soldier?" Weiss asked.

"Some things, but not much." Winter shook her head. "Why do you think he would tell me about everything he did?"

Weiss shrugged and held up her hands.

"Well, he spoke highly of you when I talked to him during the mission, and he considers you his friend. I figured with both of you in the same line of work, it'd be easier for him to open up to you," she said.

Winter didn't deny her sister's words, and she wouldn't. Blackburn was her friend and he viewed her in the same light. He was easy to talk to, he listened to her thoughts, and although he didn't agree with everything she did, he respected her decision. There were not many she could confine in, with the three big ones being him, Weiss, and General Ironwood. There was no one else around her age that she really bonded with, and that limited her small circle of potential friends.

Her mind finally came to a stop when she remembered the conversation she had with Blackburn weeks ago regarding his tattoos. The one on his arm he got as tribute to his friend that got killed in an ambush. Was it possible that was the memory he repressed? Was that the one he relived on the mission?

"Winter?" Weiss got her attention again.

"Yes?" She looked back at her.

"Maybe you should talk to him when he wakes up? Just to make sure he's okay."

Winter smiled and nodded at Weiss.

"Okay, I will. And I'll be sure to let you know when he wakes up," said Winter.

"Good, because Ruby has been driving me crazy asking me about him every day," Weiss answered back with a roll of her eyes.

Winter giggled at her sister's response. She was about to tease her about the boys in her life, but was cut short when a low buzz came from the table. Her eyes fell down to her scroll and it continued to vibrate.

She held up a finger to Weiss to excuse herself and answered Sergeant Green's call.

"Sergeant Green?" She asked.

"Lieutenant Schnee, we cracked the code on Blackburn's scroll and downloaded the pictures of the HVI he spotted," said Green.

"Very well. I'll be there soon enough."

"Sounds good. See you in a bit, Ma'am."

She ended the call and could see the somewhat disappointed look on Weiss' face.

"You need to leave now?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, but I still have a few leave days to burn. I promised you I would help you with your Semblance, and I will. The second I can take a break, I'll spend it with you." Winter rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Winter stood up and wrapped her arms around Weiss when she hugged her again.

"It was great to sit down and talk like old times," said Weiss.

"And there will be more to come," Winter answered back.

Winter walked all the way back to the landing zone with Weiss. Once her Bullhead came to pick her up, she hugged her sister one more time before getting on.

* * *

Winter hurried back to the deck once her Bullhead docked. She brushed by soldiers and strode into the bridge with a rush of excitement. Her prompt entrance got the attention of Sergeant Green and General Ironwood who were looking at the large screen overlooking the row of terminals.

She walked up to the two of them with her eyes fixed on the screen. The pictures were nice and clear, no blurs to make it difficult to identify anything important. She cupped her chin as she took in every detail of the man in the photos. Tall, muscular, short hair, a tattoo on the left arm, garbed in a White Fang uniform.

"Do we have an idea who this is?" Winter turned to Ironwood and Green.

Green shook his head and scratched the back of it.

"No, Ma'am. If you want my honest opinion, I say bring Shadow in to see if he can identify him."

Winter blinked and cast a quizzical look at her sergeant.

"Why do you believe that?" She challenged him.

"Well, when we waterboarded him, he mentioned that Lotus' second in command was a guy named Banesaw and that he was a big guy. There's also the fact that this guy was giving orders to the others inside the compound according to Blackburn's message on the radio," Green answered.

"So you believe this is that lieutenant Shadow told us about?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I do."

Winter looked to the monitor again and leaned back against the terminal. The only way to know would be to find out, and they had full cooperation from Shadow now that he was terrified of being waterboarded. If there was anyone who could identify Banesaw, it was him. It offered them a chance to get a bigger jump on Queen and Lotus, and she was not going to waste it.

"This is what we will do," Winter began with a quick look to Green. "I want Shadow in here tomorrow after breakfast to look at this photo to see if this is Banesaw. If it is, I want him to tell us everything he knows about him. If he does not know, take him back to his cell."

"Got it." Green turned a thumb up.

Green reached for the console and pulled Blackburn's scroll from it. He looked at it for a moment before handing it to her.

Winter took Blackburn's scroll and pocketed it.

"His passcode is two-three-zero-six," said Green.

"Thank you, Sergeant. That will be all," said Winter.

She turned on her heel and made her way back to the door.

"I will be in my quarters if you need me," said Winter.

"Got it, Ma'am!" Green waved goodbye.

She departed the bridge and marched back to the barracks. Her fingers traced Blackburn's scroll as it sat in her pocket and she pinched it between her fingertips. After a quick look around to see if she was alone, she pulled it out. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and with Weiss' suggestion still in her mind, she decided to take a look.

The tight knot of guilt resurfaced in the pit of her stomach as she punched in the password and the screen came to life. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but it gave her the chance to learn more about the specialist. It opened the opportunity to connect with him, and maybe served as the key to his repressed anger.

Her thumb tapped into the photo files and she scrolled her way through. There was not many, only twenty-five total according to the number on the screen. She bypassed the photos of the HVI, and one of him and Coco at the range. The first photo she came across was one of Blackburn and he had his arms wrapped around a girl who stood a head shorter than him, and beside them was a large dog. Both of them were smiling at the camera looking very happy.

A lover, perhaps? Her eyes lingered on the girl. The brunette had long hair and she had a tan complexion. The girl's figure looked more feminine than hers, but that was a minor point. Winter was proud of her body and her strength. It may not have given her an overly feminine appearance, but she still turned heads everywhere she went.

Shaking her head she moved on to the next photo. This time it was a photo of Blackburn and the large dog from the previous shot. The dog sat beside him and was licking his face. A smile grew at the corner of Winter's mouth. It was no wonder he was able to connect with that corgi so easily.

Moving to the next picture she could see a large group of young men around Blackburn's age. All of them were wearing the same uniform she found him in on the night they met. They were all bearing guns and standing in front of three vehicles wearing black sunglasses. From the look of it, they were all in a desert somewhere.

Was this his squad?

The next picture was similar to the first, except Blackburn only had four others surrounding him. The oldest looking one appeared to be in his late twenties while the other three looked around Blackburn's age. Blackburn's arms were wrapped around the necks of two of them. One had brown hair and the other had black hair. The last one had dirty blonde hair and he was sitting in front of them wearing his sunglasses.

They were the same men from the photo before. Maybe these were his best friends from the group?

Swiping to the next photo, she was somewhat surprised to see it was a video file instead. The play button rested on top of it, and she pressed down. Her curiosity was rewarded in the form of the same men from the last photo she looked at, all lined up in the open, wearing helmets, body armor and sunglasses. Nowhere near uniform standards without their long sleeved blouses.

Music started playing in the background and Winter tilted her head in wonder at what was going to happen. The music itself was not the same type she heard Blackburn listening to. It was lighter and dance friendly. Something she would not have pegged him to listen to. When the beat picked up, the five men began moving in sync with the beat.

"No way." She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

She did not take her eyes off of the video, even as she entered her room and closed the door behind her. Her legs carried her over to her desk and she plopped down in the chair and continued to watch the video, doing everything in her power not to laugh.

This was something unexpected and something she would not have expected from the specialist, but at the same time, felt it was something she could see him doing given his sense of humor.

Her eyes spotted Blackburn in the center of the group leading them in the movement. Every step, spin, dip, and pivot matched with a beat and she could see him along with the other four mouthing the words to the song as well.

A voice came over the music in the video. Most likely the one recording it.

"Bring it home, boys! Work it!"

The song began to die down, and at the last beat they froze in goofy poses.

Not being able to hold the laughter back anymore, Winter slumped forward on her desk and felt her shoulders shake uncontrollably. Her eyes watered at the corners and she had to wipe them free. Once Blackburn woke up, she would not let him live this down.

"That's a wrap! Third squad's little contribution to the homecoming slide show is complete!" The cameraman chimed in. "This is Private First Class Aaron Domsic, and I'm glad you enjoyed our rendition of 'Everybody' by the Backstreet Boys."

"Okay, turn that shit off!" Yelled another.

The file reset and was ready to play again, but Winter would wait until later to watch it once more. She exited the photos and leaned back in her chair. Her fingers found their way to the miscellaneous file and into the endless abyss of music. Although she found his taste in music too loud and angry, she was curious to see what else the man had on his scroll.

She hooked it into the terminal and hit the play button to allow it to play around her room. Winter got up from her desk, grabbed a towel and made her way to the bathroom. A guitar began to play and it was soon followed by a steady beat of drums that was only muffled as she stepped into the shower.

* * *

 **Hope you liked the chapter and you're playing close attention to some of the things in them, because I've gone back and touched on them not just for continuity, but for story plot purposes as well. I'll update the story again as soon as I get time. This would have been out sooner, but a lot of stuff went down between updates here. Anyway, thanks again for the support and I hope you got a laugh at the end of the chapter here.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Although I'm not on an update schedule now, I'm considering going back on one to try and get my ass in gear to finish not just this story, but others as well. No promises yet, but we'll see where this goes.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **HVI: High Valued Individual**

 **MG: Machine Gun**

 **"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 7/25/17**

 **"It's My Turn to feel Out of Place" collaboration between Le MAO XVII and JC of the Corn updated: 8/22/2017**

 **"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Goldspark1: A big thank you for the continued reviews as always! I'm happy you enjoyed Blackburn's and Weiss' talk about Winter and family since I wanted to make that a big point along with her jealousy. Both of them come from similar families, although Blackburn's is nowhere as damaged as Weiss', but I aimed for drawing similarities between the two of them for common ground so he could help her try and understand Winter's point of view. Thanks again for the review.**

 **Cyrus Snow: Thanks for the review. Glad that the chapter was worth the wait in your eyes.**

 **TopHatGuy: Thanks for the review, but I have a question for you, and don't take this the wrong way, but have you been paying attention to the story or skimming it? The last chapter wasn't the first time Blackburn was in a situation with a kid posing as a threat, this is the second time he's been in the situation and both of them ended differently for plot and character development. Yes, he killed a kid, but at the end of the day you have to do what it takes to keep yourself and your friends alive, and he killed the kid because he was not a civilian, he was a soldier aiming to do harm on Weiss.**

 **And with your other note about you not being sure that Blake would do what she did because that's a "Blakey" thing, that's the reason why I had her do it. In the show the White Fang is her trigger in simpler terms and the second they pop up, she's instantly quick to act out on her own, which part of that is guilt from her past and the other is to try and stop them and right their wrongs. Thanks for the review.**

 **Guest: Not exactly, no. I could have said NVGs to make it easier for readers, but NOD between soldiers is typically night vision goggles so it is still accurate.**

 **OBSERVER01: Thanks for the continued reviews, I appreciate it. Zwei is best companion, and this won't be the only time we see him doing something along these lines.**

 **Maverick058: I had to go back and correct that, so thanks for being high speed and pointing that out. Could of sworn I wrote it as a six digit grid when I went back and looked it over. Thanks for the review!**

 **Smilexcynical: Thanks a bunch for the review. I'm happy that you believe Connor's character is down to earth and that he's not a Gary Stu. I made it a point to make sure that would not happen, but it's nice to finally see a second review of someone saying that.**

 **Shadow: Thanks. Wish I knew what exactly you liked about the chapter, but I guess I'll never know.**


	25. Deja Vu

**Back with another update, so let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

 _Blackburn felt his finger twitch and a tender soreness followed that sent a sharp stab of pain through his body. He tried to move, but could feel additional weight on top of him. Distant cries met his ears and forced him to crack his eyes open._

 _The gaping hole of the demolished wall he and the men of Lieutenant Burns' platoon gave their all to defend was staring back at him. Around him he could see dozens of Grimm continuing their onslaught of the remaining members of the platoon. One after another, he watched an Atlas soldier meet their demise in the maw of a ravenous Beowolf or the beak of a Nevermore as they picked them up from the ground and into the heavens._

 _"No." He clenched his fists, ignoring the pain the coursed through them._

 _He watched another Atlas soldier fall after a set of claws raked across his face._

 _"No!" He got to his knees and his hand found his dust rifle just to his right._

 _His eyes located the next closest soldier. The soldier was just a kid who barely looked old enough to be in the military. His eyes were wide with fear and his arm was outstretched holding a pistol that had its slide locked back. There was a Beowolf charging the boy who tried to scramble away with his mangled leg._

 _"Goddamn-it, no!" Blackburn raised his rifle and fired three quick bursts._

 _Each grouping made contact on the Beowolf and dropped it in a heap. He paid the dissolving body no mind and raced over to the wounded soldier who had a look of relief wash over him at the last second save. He winced as he slid to a halt beside the soldier when his legs flared up again. His fall from the wall did a number on him and he could still feel the effects of it firsthand._

 _"You okay?" Blackburn gave him a quick look over._

 _The kid shook his head and his face scrunched up as he tried to move his crushed leg._

 _"Sarge, my leg's fucked. I can't run." He shook his head._

 _"What's your name?" Blackburn looked around to see if he had an opening._

 _"Mayfield. Corporal Gray Mayfield."_

 _"Okay. I'm going to get you out of here, Mayfield. Just hang on."_

 _He set his rifle down and scooped his arms under Mayfield, giving a quick apology. His head swept the square and he grit his teeth in frustration. Each side street that led out of the square was blocked off by Grimm that found their way inside. There was no way he could escape with Mayfield without getting killed._

 _Thinking fast, he did another look around the square and spotted and abandoned shop just behind him. The windows were shattered and the door had been broken down. If he could keep Mayfield covered in the shop while he held off the Grimm, they had a chance to hold out for reinforcements. With his mind made up, he turned on his heel and hustled into the shop, all the while giving silent apologies for each bounce that irritated Mayfield's leg._

 _The shop was a mess. Glass littered the floor, tables had been overturned and left in splintered ruin. The bodies of some civilians and soldiers were strewn across the shop, leaving crimson stains blotted over the store like spilled paint._

 _Blackburn found an untouched spot by a flipped table and stepped over to it, doing everything he could to avoid the corpses. He reached the table a moment later and gently sat Mayfield down and made sure his leg was free from harm. To his left there was an abandoned dust rifle from the fallen soldier. His hand flew to it and he held it out to Mayfield who took it a second later._

 _"Okay, you're ready to go," said Blackburn clapping his shoulder. "We're going to harden our defense here in the shop until our evac arrives. Any Grimm that get by me, you blow away."_

 _"Got it!" Mayfield nodded back._

 _Blackburn gave one last look to Mayfield's hiding spot and nodded to himself. He was out of sight and would only be found by the Grimm if he let his emotions get the best of him. There were five magazines of ammunition stacked beside him, enough to hold out for a short time, but hopefully he wouldn't need them._

 _"Wildcat-Actual, Wildcat-Two, the gate is gone. I say again, the gate is gone, over," said Blackburn as he walked to the shop's entrance._

 _Winter's response came back immediately._

 _"Understood. What's your composition?"_

 _"We're combat ineffective at this time. It's just me and one guy from Lieutenant Burns' platoon, over," he answered back._

 _A long pause came after his response to Winter. Whether she was rendered speechless from the answer he gave or making note of it to revise her plan was another story._

 _"Roger. What is your current situation?" Winter broke the silence._

 _"We're trapped in the square and holding position in a shop at the western edge. We need an immediate MEDEVAC, over," said Blackburn._

 _"I'm moving towards your position now with a Bullhead. ETA five minutes."_

 _He shook his head and peered down the sights of his rifle to line up his first shot._

 _"You need to be faster than that, Wildcat-Actual. We'll be dead in two minutes at this rate," said Blackburn as he fired a burst at an approaching Beowolf._

 _The Beowolf's head snapped back when the burst found its mark and sent it toppling over before it dissolved into nothingness. His disposal of the dark creature alerted the others nearby and they began their trek to investigate it. He took aim at the next closest target he could find to lower his chance of missing a shot and wasting ammo. The gun kicked with another burst and dropped another Beowolf._

 _"We're moving as fast as we can, Wildcat-Two, break. We had to drop off the last of the civilians and refit, over," said Winter._

 _"Roger that, just hurry! There's only one of me, and I got Grimm crawling up my ass! Out!" He dropped his hand from the radio and turned to aim at a large Ursa._

 _The Ursa was big, and it was covered in more armor than others he had seen so far that day. Was this an alpha? Most likely._

 _He fired a burst at the Ursa and watched it stop briefly as the shots struck it in the chest. It continued its stride for him, much faster than before. Each step it took it got faster and faster until it was on all fours sprinting. Blackburn cursed under his breath and began firing every shot he could at the hulking Grimm to put it down._

 _His rifle clicked to signal his empty magazine and he immediately dropped it for a reload, but had no time. Without thinking about it his fingertips brush the secondary switch at the side and a blade shot from its depths and took him by surprise. Just like with Mustang. He was brought back to the present when the Ursa gave a loud roar and pounced._

 _He dropped to his knee and thrust the blade up piercing its hide and fell to the ground with a hard thud. The weight alone from the Ursa made his arms tremble as it squirmed violently on top of him as it tried to bite his face. A loud burst from his side and a wet splash met him a second later._

 _The Ursa stopped squirming and fell to his side in a heap. Its body vanished in a burst of black and vanished into the breeze. He turned his eyes to where the shot came from and he saw Mayfield lowering his rifle._

 _"You okay, Sarge?" Mayfield asked._

 _"Yeah, thanks for that." Blackburn sat back up and collapsed the blade._

 _He reloaded his rifle and took position inside the doorway again. The remaining Grimm in his vicinity were easy enough to deal with and he dropped them one by one. When he emptied another magazine, his hand traced his pouch for another and only found one. Not good. He briefly considered asking Mayfield to spare him one, but decided against it. If he went down, he wanted Mayfield to have everything he could to stay alive._

 _"Wildcat-Actual, where the hell are you? I can't hold these things off much longer!" He yelled into his radio._

 _"We're one minute out, but there are a lot of Nevermore! It's making it difficult for us to approach the square!" Winter answered back._

 _"What if I take some of them out? Would that help?"_

 _"We have gunners taking out the ones near us now on the Bullhead, break. If you can kill any Nevermore flying in the square that will help with your extraction, over."_

 _"Sounds like a plan. Out."_

 _Blackburn loaded the last magazine of his rifle and got to his feet. He took a couple of deep breaths to still his nerves and pounding heart. If he could just hold out for one minute, Mayfield would make it out. He cast a quick look to the wounded corporal and saw him hiding behind the cover he had to the point it looked like he was molded into it._

 _"One minute, Mayfield! We're gonna' make it!" He nodded at him._

 _Mayfield gave him a thumbs up, not trusting his mouth to speak. So long as he could save at least one of them, this would be the one good success out of this otherwise terrible mess._

 _Blackburn pushed out from the doorway and drew the attention of the Grimm. With them now focused on him personally, he could keep them free from Mayfield long enough for Winter to get there with their backup._

 _Keeping his finger on the trigger, he continued to fire in short, controlled bursts. One by one, the Grimm closest to him fell to the street and vanished without a trace. He then turned his eyes to the sky to see dozens of Nevermore flocking above, almost resembling a dark cloud. Screeches and caws echoed around the abandoned square and could be heard from miles away._

 _Fighting through the cries of the Nevermore he began firing at them. Feathers twisted and danced as they fell to the earth along with some of the smaller Nevermore he managed to hit. Another click met his ears and his hand reached up for the empty magazine. He pulled it free and tossed it aside, quickly searching for fallen soldiers. Not too far away he spotted one holding a rifle like his._

 _Blackburn sprinted over to the soldier and had to dodge a dive from a Nevermore that swooped down at him. The hair on his neck stood on end and he could almost feel the razor sharp talons as they ghosted his shoulders. He rolled to his side and his hand scrambled for the soldier's vest to pull whatever magazines he could find. Only two were there. Better than nothing. He shoved the first one in the well and loaded the chambered round._

 _Casting a quick look over his shoulder he could see the Nevermore that tried to kill him earlier bearing down on him again. He rolled over and got to his knee and fired. The bullets met the head of the Nevermore and sent it plummeting to the ground with a loud crash. Another Beowolf came from his right. With fast hands he aimed center mass and fired two quick bursts, stopping it full in its tracks._

 _He aimed back at the circling Nevermore and fired at them again, all the while sneaking looks from his peripherals to watch for any surprise attacks. One by one, Nevermore dropped from the sky, disappearing just as soon as they had come._

 _A loud hum met his ears and a swell of relief flooded his battered body. Winter's Bullhead finally emerged through the smoke filled air like a divine guardian, gunfire and all. The massive flock of Nevermore were met with hundreds of bullets and were mowed down with ease. The back ramp of the aircraft was lowered and he could see the young lieutenant's eyes scanning the ground._

 _"Hey!" He waved up at her._

 _When Winter's eyes fell on him, he could see a look of relief on her face and she smiled back. She reached up for her radio so she could clearly relay her message to him._

 _"Glad to see you're still in one piece. Grab your man so we can get out of here," said Winter._

 _He was already one step ahead of her and his feet stretched out as far as they could with each step they took. His boots thudded on the blood soaked ground and they soon echoed on wood as he burst into the shop. Mayfield looked back at him and he hurried over to the downed corporal._

 _"Our ride's here," said Blackburn as he picked up Mayfield._

 _"About time!" Mayfield grimaced._

 _Blackburn guided Mayfield out of the shop and the two of them hobbled their way over to the Bullhead just as it was landing in the center of the square. He slung Mayfield off of his shoulder and into the arms of the medics ushering him on. As his hand reached out for Winter's, the Bullhead suddenly drifted right as if struck by a large hand. Warning alarms began to blare as it tried to right itself from crashing to the ground._

 _"Nevermore!" A soldier yelled moving to the opposite doorway with his rifle._

 _The Bullhead quickly took to the air to put space between itself and the Nevermore, leaving Blackburn on the ground and out of reach, surrounded by more Grimm._

 _"I still have a man down there!" He heard Winter say over the radio._

 _"We have to get rid of this thing first!" The pilot retorted._

 _The Bullhead's engines whined as it started to fly out of sight with the large Nevermore following close behind and being met with heavy gunfire._

 _Blackburn held up his rifle and tried to find an alternate escape route with his peripherals. His hopes were dashed when he saw that he was utterly cornered by Grimm. No way out except to fight, and given his current situation, he would have to rely on his own power. With Winter and her ship dealing with the large Nevermore in the distance, she could not give him any support._

 _His shoulders rose and fell after a couple of seconds with a calm breath. He flipped the switch at the side of his rifle and it converted to its blade form. The large blade shone in the flames, its sharp edges ready to cut into the hide of the Grimm around him. His heart drummed hard as he gripped the blade and sunk down for his charge._

 _A loud battle cry tore through his throat as he jumped head on at the first Beowolf in front of him. He easily ducked under the wild swipe and swung his blade and cleaved through the creature. It dissolved in a burst of smoke and he turned his sights one the two that rushed him from his left. He was fast with his retaliation and countered their attack with a block and quick slash._

 _Two quick burst of black came when the Beowolves vanished. He stumbled forward and bit back a scream as a set of claws raked across his back. On a spin of his heel he swung and severed the head of another Beowolf, only to be rushed by an Ursa. He raised his blade to block another strike and felt his arms buckle in doing so. The Ursa overpowered him and he soon found himself on his back._

 _That small bubble of fear in the pit of his stomach had now swelled into full blown panic. His Aura was close to being shattered and if that happened, it was lights out. Without thinking about it, he called upon his Semblance as a last ditch effort to survive. His trump card._

 _Just like this entire day had gone, he knew something that didn't make sense. His Semblance was the key to surviving the encounter. It was familiar, but it wasn't to him personally. Like it was someone else's personal belief speaking for him._

 _A sharp pulse and a spike of adrenaline. With fast hands he stabbed up as hard as he could and pierced through the Ursa's chest when it came down to finish him off. A loud roar quickly turned into a dying growl before it slumped forward and dispersed. He felt rejuvenated as he jumped to his feet with a wave of strength and ran forward to engage against another Ursa._

 _One Grimm after the next came at him, and each time he cut them down with surprising ease, no matter their size. It was unreal for him as he witnessed it. At that moment he was an unstoppable juggernaut and his onslaught was making his goal of surviving come into light with each kill. Any hit he took was brushed off with little regard or returned with a powerful blow to kill said Grimm._

 _His fight had drawn him in to the center of the square where he was now completely surrounded. An endless horde of black creatures filled his vision and were now creeping towards him with caution._

 _"Wildcat-Two, we're moving to you now. Get ready for immediate extraction," said Winter._

 _"You'll need to carry me off. I'm not going to have the energy to do it," Blackburn said back._

 _Already he could feel the wild amount of energy he had leaving him by the second, and when it went, so did strength. The dull ache in his muscles was growing and they began to tremble in exhaustion. The energy he had at his disposal could still be of use to him, and using it would give Winter and her team a place to land and recover him without difficulty._

 _He took another deep breath and gripped his blade tightly with both hands, all the while channeling his energy. The flowing strength coursed through his body and into his sword. It may have been his imagination, but he could see his Aura emanating from his arms as they trembled with power. His energy was nearing its peak and begging to be released._

 _Blackburn turned his eyes to the sea of Grimm in front of him._

 _"Come on!" He barked in a taunt._

 _Not far off, he could hear the engine of Winter's Bullhead as it neared the square. He got his wish when the Grimm rushed him from all sides and he waited patiently for them. They were within a few feet of him before he raised his blade and struck down with everything he had. A deafening boom met his ears and was soon replaced with a ringing sensation he experienced dozens of times before, courtesy of gunfire and explosives._

 _A rush of wind graced him as earth erupted from the ground and swallowed up all the Grimm surrounding him. Dirt swirled violently and he coughed as it swarmed into his lungs. His legs buckled and his knees touched the remnants of the cobblestone he had been standing on._

 _When the dust settled, all the Grimm that surrounded him earlier were gone, decimated from the mighty attack. A large circle of dirt now replaced the stone paved square that was there moments before. Blackburn could only blink in disbelief at the raw power he unleashed, but it was difficult with his blurred vision._

 _Darkness was gnawing at the corners of his eyes and he could feel everything fading around him. He barely registered the Bullhead touching down behind him. It sounded so distant, much like the hurried footsteps and Winter's voice._

 _He swayed in place and fell face first into the dirt, swallowed by darkness._

 _"Hector!"_

* * *

Light met him as it pierced his eyelids. His face scrunched up in annoyance as he tried to block it out to no avail. With a slow breath through his nose, he opened his eyes and was greeted by a white ceiling, reminiscent of a hospital room. Like after a long given rest, the familiar sluggish movement welcomed him with open arms.

Blackburn managed to sit up with great difficulty and hunched forward. The back of his head throbbed and he swallowed his saliva to ease the cottonmouth he had. He raised a heavy arm and pinched the bridge of his nose with another breath to block out the annoying headache he was feeling. When he opened his eyes, he was able to get a better picture of the room he was in.

His guess had been accurate. The room was silent, save for the machine monitoring his vitals. Off to his side he could see a fresh set of clothes folded on the bedside table next to a sealed tin and some cards. He scratched his face in mild surprise, making note of the facial hair to be shaved later. A sigh escaped him and he rubbed his eyes to clear them of the lingering sleep.

His arms stretched out and he could hear the light pops of his shoulders and his back loosening up. How long had he been out for?

Turning back to his bedside table he looked for his scroll, but it was absent. He knew he put it back in his pocket after snapping the photo of the man he fought. Did someone take it? It was possible. He did have information related to the mission on it, and they may have taken it without his permission.

A grimace worked its way across his face. While he could understand the reason behind taking his scroll, he was less than thrilled they did it without his permission. God only knows what else they went through after cracking his security code if they did so.

Blackburn put the negative thoughts aside and turned his attention back to the small table beside him. His heavy arm reached for the nearest cards and brought them over. He opened the first one and he could make out the "Get Well Soon!" written in big bold letters after pulling it out of the envelope. He opened the card and could see four signatures from the girls of Team RWBY. The neat penmanship of Weiss was the first to catch his eye as it was written in perfect cursive. Ruby's was in somewhat sloppy print, but more than legible. Blake's, too, was written in print, but more presentable than Ruby's. Last but not least, Yang. She had taken the liberty of making some fancy street graffiti with her signature.

 _"Get well soon, Professor! Class is boring without you!"_ He read Ruby's note at the end of the card's good wishes.

He smiled lightly and placed it back on his desk before opening the next one. Weiss' handwriting made another appearance on the envelope and he opened it without hesitation. He was somewhat nervous with what she wrote for him, vaguely remembering her disturbed look after he saved her from gunpoint on the mission.

The card was baby blue and had some flowers on the front to wish a good recovery. When he opened it, he could see a small passage written in the card and quickly went to reading.

"Professor Blackburn, I'm not really the best at expressing my gratitude in person, but I feel that writing it out will suffice. You saved my life back in the compound, and I cannot thank you enough for doing so. Because of you, I still have the chance to make my dreams a reality, and I will use that as a reminder to grow stronger and ensure it happens. I know that my sister, my teammates and some of my family thanks you, too. Get plenty of rest and come back to class soon," he read quietly.

There was another note at the bottom of the card.

"By the way, that tin is filled with some chocolate chip cookies. I made sure to supervise Yang and Ruby when they made them and that they followed the recipe."

He set Weiss' card next to Team RWBY's and reached over for the tin. His fingers popped the cover off and inside he found over a dozen cookies with thick chocolate chips just waiting to be devoured. Taking one from the tin, he took a bite and enjoyed the fresh taste. The cookie was not hard or crunchy, but nice and soft, as if fresh out of the oven.

When he swallowed the last of the cookie, he looked down at the last card. It was in a brown envelope, and he could hazard a guess from who it was from. After opening the envelope, he pulled out a white card that had a variety of balloons on the front of it. Opening it a second later, he spotted the four signatures of Team CFVY near the bottom.

 _"Yo, Professor, when you're done enjoying your little vacation, come back to class! If we don't get a break from a mission, you shouldn't either!"_

He rolled his eyes, harboring the belief that it was written by both Fox and Coco.

 _"Get well soon, Professor. We miss you in school."_

Velvet's was more formal and sweet compared to the smack talk above.

 _"Professor, I wish you a quick recovery. Staying cooped up in the hospital is never fun."_

Yatsuhashi? Maybe. The writing was different from everyone else's.

He was about to set the card aside, but noticed an additional piece of paper inside the envelope. He pulled out the folded paper and unfolded it to read what was left behind as an extra addition. Coco's handwriting came into view.

 _"Hey Stud, I'm thinkin' that when you get out of the hospital, I'm burning that "Not Date" card I won during our competition at the range. I know a couple of places in town to get you some good duds, we'll grab something to eat and call it a day. Hit me up when you get out, and don't make me come looking for you."_

He read the note a couple of times and rolled his eyes. The girl was persistent and he could admire that about her, but she really needed to ease up on the flirting. She paid little regard to his earlier dismissals and it seemed as though it would take a firm rejection to make her stop.

"That girl's gonna' be the death of me." He rested the note back in the card and set it on his bedside table.

Blackburn laid back in the bed and looked up at the ceiling. To pass the time, he decided to do some small exercises to get the blood flowing through is legs and his arms to get the movement back to his muscles. Staying in bed never did favors in the long run, and the sooner he could leave, the better. First he wiggled his toes on his left foot, then his right, then altogether for a few minutes until he could feel the warmth in them. Then came his feet, one bend after the next. Slowly each exercise worked up to his shoulders that he rolled and flexed a couple of times before sitting up to do the same for his neck.

He was broken from his routine when the door to the room hissed open and a doctor and nurse entered.

"Oh, Mister Blackburn!" The nurse perked up.

"That was my name last I checked," he said with a roll of his neck.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. I've been working my muscles for a bit."

The nurse nodded and moved over to the machine monitoring his vitals to turn it off. She then removed the electrodes from his body and stood off to the side to allow the doctor to step up to him. The man had a clipboard in hand and was scribbling some notes on the paper. His red hair had traces of grey from age, and his face was etched with exhaustion.

Blackburn's eyes trailed down to the doctor's name tape. Doctor Burns. The same name as the lieutenant from his dream. Was it possible the man was related to him? He shook off the thought and looked back at the doctor.

"What's up, Doc?" Blackburn finished his stretching and turned his eyes to the doctor.

The man gave a quick look from the top of his clipboard. He finished his last note and pulled up the chair close to the bed and sat down.

"Well, Mister Blackburn, if you can joke that easily after being comatose for a week, I guess there isn't too much to worry about with you," said Burns with a shrug.

A week? That was a new personal record for him. His longest stay in a medical tent or a doctor's office was two days, but now he shattered that record with the coma.

"What, I can't joke around now?" He asked with a raised brow.

Burns' gaze met his again, a flat look in his eye.

"I don't think something serious as Aura Exhaustion is a joking matter, boy," he replied with a shake of his head.

The humor was sucked out of him with the doctor's response and he fought the urge to roll his eyes.

 _"I would get stuck with the Bob Kelso of doctors."_ He held up his hands to humor the man.

"Now, we're going to run a couple of tests on you. If you pass them, you can be released."

"Sounds easy enough."

Doctor Burns nodded at his nurse to proceed with the checkup. One test after the next. Coordination, eyesight, speech, and even a short walk across the room. Each test he passed, Burns wrote down a note.

Blackburn managed to catch a glimpse of the notes that Burns had been writing when he did his small walk. The notes were long and comprehensive, almost as if detailing a thorough report over a simple checkup. Something else was going on here and it did not settle right with him.

"You can get dressed now, Mister Blackburn," Burns gestured to the stack of clothes.

Blackburn did not look a gift horse in the mouth and was quick to discard of the hospital gown he was in. He pulled on his pants, his shirt, his socks and then sat down on the bed to tie his boots. Freedom was just in site, and he could not be any more thrilled for a quick release.

"Before you go, I have a couple of questions that I would like you to answer," Doctor Burns spoke.

"Seriously? What else do you need?" Blackburn replied.

"Believe me, I would have left the second you passed the last test there, but this is a request from General Ironwood himself."

Now Doctor Burns had his attention. His mind wandered to the general for a brief moment and he wondered what it was the man wanted the doctor to ask him. He then thought back to the notes he managed to sneak a peek at. Suddenly things were making more sense. This was more of a report for General Ironwood based around his recovery, but there was something missing.

Officers cared for their soldiers, sure, but they also had their own agenda that they wanted to execute. Possibly for some OER bullet towards a promotion, or even something to put on a resume post military, he could only guess. He expected General Ironwood to be no different from the other officers he met during his career as a soldier.

"Like I mentioned to you earlier, Mister Blackburn. Aura Exhaustion is not a laughing matter, and I've seen it happen more than I've wanted to," Burns began as he leaned back in his chair.

"Okay, I get it," Blackburn answered back with a similar tone. "No more jokes. Let's just get this done."

Doctor Burns nodded back in agreement.

"Good. Now, I'm here on General Ironwood's behalf regarding your current situation with your Aura," said Burns as he flipped to a new sheet of paper. "I'm aware that you have taken part in an experimental project to be the subject of an Aura transfer."

"Yeah. I agreed to help General Ironwood because I didn't want to be useless to my students and felt that Aura was the best option to keep my relevancy," Blackburn answered.

"I see. Now, since you've acquired Hector Silva's Aura, have you noticed anything strange?"

Blackburn blinked in confusion. What exactly did he mean by that? He received Hector's Aura, true, but what could be strange about it? He shook his head and was about to respond, but quickly stopped.

That was a lie.

"Well, maybe?" Blackburn replied, unsure of his own words.

"What do you mean "maybe," Mister Blackburn?" Burns rose a brow.

He leaned forward and cupped his chin in thought. Before he answered the doctor again, he thought back to every lesson he had with Winter and Glynda regarding Aura and its significance. However, the overall concept was serving as a poke to the back of his head. Aura was the manifestation of one's soul, and when Hector's Aura was transferred to him, it left him with a lingering wonder of whether or not the sergeant was still alive in one way.

"I've been having these dreams," he finally answered.

The man narrowed his eyes just a bit and folded his arms.

"What kind of dreams?" Burns replied. "Personal dreams? Nightmares?"

"I'm not really sure how to describe it." Blackburn shook his head. "It's a dream, but I have this weird feeling that it's not. Everything that happened in it was specific, like I lived it before."

"It's not uncommon to have a recurring dream, especially for soldiers or Huntsmen. Things you have experienced manifest themselves in unusual ways. Maybe this dream of yours was just that?"

Blackburn denied the doctor's suggestion with a firm shake of his head and gave him a hard stare.

"Not likely. Look, I remember every bad thing that happened to me and my friends during my deployments, and I have nightmares about them all the time. This dream I'm telling you about was nothing like it," said Blackburn.

"How so? What made this dream different than a nightmare?" Burns asked.

"I just told you. It's like I lived it before. Way too vivid for a dream. More like a memory."

This time he could see a small flicker of surprise in the doctor's eyes. He waited for the man to jot down the note before he spoke again.

"I have one question for you about Sergeant Silva. I only got a brief story about him, but I want to know from you before I say anything else."

"What would you like to know?" Burns asked.

He was silent before meeting his eyes once more.

"What the hell happened on his last mission?"

* * *

 **That's the chapter, folks. For those of you who have been questioning these little "dreams" or skipping them, it should be obvious by now, but Blackburn was experiencing Sergeant Silva's memories. It wasn't filler, but overall plot. Remember, Blackburn took Ironwood's offer for the Aura because he didn't want to be useless, and Ironwood wanted to see how an Aura transfer worked on something other than a synthetic being, one who was human and didn't have Aura.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) I decided to get back on an update schedule once more. I want to finish my stories faster, so I will get back into update form here. The next update for the story will be set for November 10th.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival**

 **MEDEVAC: Medical Evacuation**

 **OER: Officer Evaluation Report**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Vortiivask Jaeger: Thanks**

 **A random green squid: Thanks for the review. Don't worry, Blake will get an earful for her actions down the road.**

 **Maverick058: Thanks for the review. Now that you bring that up, I'm tempted to incorporate that in a flashback to his squad at some point, but we'll see. I felt that a dance routine was funnier since I've seen some soldiers goof around with that.**

 **Hellwyrm: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad that the story has been to your liking so far for being an OC one.**

 **GoldSpark1: Well, I can't stop you from skipping, but I would strongly recommend not to do that regardless if you don't find it interesting. I don't put stuff in a story if it's irrelevant. All of those dreams were relevant which was made apparent in this chapter here. If you see something later that confuses you, chances are your answer will be in the section you skipped. Blackburn doesn't have a device that would sync with Remnant, if you go back to chapter 4, you'll see that his Scroll essentially connected like blue tooth with his phone and transferred everything that way, his cellphone doesn't work there. The only reason Winter felt guilty was for stealing his scroll without his permission to break the code and go through it. I won't deny the logic behind why she did it, but it was more of a way to show she has grown and her relationship with Blackburn has grown. Thanks again for the review.**

 **TopHatGuy: Thanks for the review, now this chapter here should have shed light on your questions and your confusion, but to reiterate it, those dreams he these last couple of chapters were actually memories. Scrolls in my eyes are like smartphones, four digit combination max for number passwords. What you're thinking of sounds way too advanced for something simple as that, that be more around a personal computer level for security measure in my eyes.**

 **Fuzzyjacket: Thanks for the review, I appreciate it! Now, that concept will carry on for the rest of the story, so there's something you can look forward to.**


	26. Evaluation

**Hey, everybody! Back with a new chapter on the deadline day, so let's get to it. I would like to take a minute to thank all of you for the continued support and subscriptions to the story. Because of you all, I'm now over 200 favorites and 300 alerts to go along with almost 58.8k hits, so thank you!**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter had General Ironwood to her right and Sergeant Green to her left. She had taken her sergeant's suggestion and implemented it. They stared at the blown up photo of the ring leader of the White Fang cell that Blackburn had on his scroll and presented it to Shadow. Needless to say, the results she got forced her to keep a straight face through her victory.

Shadow's eyes had immediately snapped to the photo the second he entered the room with the MPs that escorted him. There was no doubt that he had crossed paths with the man, and it was only sweeter that the boy confirmed the theory that Sergeant Green brought up.

"And you're sure this man here is Banesaw? The one who sent messengers to meet with you?" Ironwood's eyes shifted to Shadow.

The teen nodded vehemently.

"Am I sure? Of course I'm sure!" Shadow retorted. "The guy's huge! He has the tattoo, and he's built like a brick shithouse! That's him!"

General Ironwood kept his steely eyes on Shadow for a good minute before looking back at the photo of Banesaw.

"What would be the best way to track him down?" Winter asked Shadow.

The cuffed teen merely shook his head.

"Your best bet would be to talk to Roman Torchwick. If he says nothing, then there are some clubs in Vale that have connections with the black market and low-time criminals. You can find all kinds of information about that crap," Shadow said with a small shrug.

"Which clubs would be the best to look into?"

Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Look, it ain't that simple. It all depends on who you talk to and who is full of shit and looking for a quick score," said Shadow.

"Just from the top of your head," Sergeant Green spoke for Winter.

"Like I said, it all depends on who you talk to. These criminals can be in one club one day and another the next, or even off in another kingdom within a day. It's a busy job if you know your stuff."

"Shadow, do we need to get Doyle in here and give you another bath?"

Sergeant Green's little mention of Doyle made Shadow's face turn pale and he quickly shook his head. The teen would instantly divulge information if it kept him free from facing his fears.

"Hei Xiong. He owns a popular night club near industrial district downtown. Goes by the name Junior," Shadow quickly spoke. "If there's anyone that has info about everything that goes on underground, it's him."

"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Green gave him a hard pat on the back.

"Anything else?" Shadow looked between the three of them.

Winter shook her head and nodded at the MPs who escorted Shadow out of the room. Once he was gone, she folded her arms and closed her eyes in thought. With one problem solved, they now had to solve another. Now that Banesaw as off the grid, their best chance was to find some reliable information related to him and his movements. The sooner they did that, the sooner they could establish a plan of attack to capture him and expose who Queen and Lotus were.

Her brow furrowed in annoyance as she felt a small headache coming on and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What do you want to do, Ma'am?" Green asked from her side.

She mulled over Shadow's words silently and came to a decision.

"While I believe what Shadow said was true, I want more validation. Pick Roman's brain and see if he says anything similar," said Winter.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Green turned on his heel and departed the room, leaving her and General Ironwood alone. Winter's eyes shifted to her commander who had remained silent, eyes fixed on Banesaw's photo. She had been around him long enough to know when he was focused on something critical, and this was one of those times. However, she had a gut feeling that it wasn't towards their continued efforts against Queen and Lotus, but something else. She cleared her throat when she saw his eyes glance and meet hers.

"Is something wrong, Winter?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"No, sir. I just noticed you looked preoccupied with something," she answered back.

Ironwood let out a sigh and gave a small smile.

"Nothing seems to get past you, does it, Lieutenant?" He turned to face her.

"I would like to believe nothing does, sir," Winter said with a shake of her head.

"Well, you're correct. I've been distracted lately."

Ironwood motioned for her to follow him out of the command bay and she did so. She stayed to his left as he led them down the corridor and towards the elevators to the lower floor.

"Distracted by what, sir?" She asked as they rounded another corner.

Ironwood's mouth twisted as if he was biting the inside of his lip. She had seen the man let his emotions out from time to time, namely frustration and anger, but even then those were rarities. For the most part, he was composed and well-mannered with the temperament of a saint. To see him remotely conflicted about something was unsettling. All soldiers, especially officers had to keep their emotions under control. If any hysteria or visible discomfort was seen, it led to a loss of confidence from their peers.

They stopped outside the elevator and waited for the doors to open after he called it up. Once they were alone, he turned his attention back to her.

"I can't divulge much since a lot of it is classified, but in simpler terms, it has to do with the Aura transfer we gave Blackburn," Ironwood whispered.

Winter perked up, now intrigued with what Ironwood had said. She quickly followed him into the elevator and had the doors close behind her, blocking off any last second runners.

"What about it?" She asked.

Ironwood took a sip from his flask after pulling it out from his coat. He smacked his lips and tucked it away.

"I've asked Doctor Burns to examine him once he woke up to see if his body has transitioned to it. I was on my way there now," he said.

Winter blinked as she processed his words. Blackburn was awake? Why didn't anyone tell her?

"How long has he been awake, sir?" She asked.

"I received a message from Burns when Shadow was identifying Banesaw. He woke up about an hour ago."

"May I come along as well, sir? I want to thank him for looking after Weiss on the mission."

Ironwood nodded and stepped out of the door and she followed after him. She silently made note of the fact it had been a week exactly since he first slipped into the coma from the mission. Even though it was a week average for someone to wake from Aura Exhaustion, there was typically an extra day in there. The fact Blackburn woke up on time made her job easier.

Her hand drifted to her pocket for his scroll to give it back to him, only to curse inwardly. She had left it back in her quarters and forgot to unplug it after downloading some of the music he had on it. She quickly brushed it aside and convinced herself it was an easy fix. All she had to do was direct him to her office to give it back to him when they were done talking with Doctor Burns. It was better to do it that way, anyway. Outside of thanking him for saving Weiss, there was one other thing she wanted to give the man. Something that she felt he would appreciate given how passionate he was about his time in the military.

They rounded another corner and the medical wing's sign came into view as it hung over the entrance. Outside the door they spotted Doctor Burns who was looking down at his clipboard in deep thought. The lines under the man's eyes seemed to increase tenfold since she last saw him. Lack of sleep was the obvious culprit, but there was something else she noticed his eyes. Disbelief, perhaps?

"Doctor Burns," General Ironwood spoke as they drew close.

"General Ironwood," Burns greeted back as he straightened up.

"I came as soon as I got your message. Do you have time to talk now?"

Burns looked hesitant with his reply, but ultimately nodded back.

"Of course, sir. Do you mind if we go outside to discuss it? I could use a smoke," Burns answered back.

"Not at all." Ironwood shook his head.

Winter knew she would not be able to sit in for the duration of the conversation, so she would be dismissed momentarily. However, one thing caught her eye. Blackburn was nowhere to be seen.

She spared the hospital room a quick look, but found it empty, save for a nurse cleaning up the bed that Blackburn had been occupying.

"Doctor Burns, did Blackburn leave?" She asked him.

"Yes, ma'am. He left about five minutes ago. If you hurry, you might catch him on the airstrip," Burns said back.

"Thank you."

She excused herself from the two men and hurried towards the landing strip to catch Blackburn.

* * *

Once the lieutenant was out of sight, Ironwood turned to Burns and nodded at him. They started their walk to the side deck on the far end of the wing. It was always a nice place to relax or enjoy a quick smoke break before continuing with the day. Although he was not a smoking man, having personally found the habit filthy, a lot of his friends were. He'd rather discuss this matter with Burns in his office, but he could tell the man was distraught and needed the chance to relieve his stress.

The door to the deck opened and after a quick look, he saw they were alone. He stood aside to allow Burns to step outside and shut the door behind them, locking it. His hand reached for his flask and he unscrewed it to take a long sip from the whiskey that dwelled in its depths.

A low click came to his right and he saw Burns holding a lighter up to the cigarette in his mouth. The smell of tobacco met his nose as it began to burn and the man took a long drag before releasing it in a steady breath.

"What did you find in your evaluation of Blackburn?" Ironwood asked, cutting to the chase.

"Right, well…" Burns looked down at his clipboard to the first page of notes. "Do you want me to give you the bottom line up front, or do you to be thorough?"

"The usual."

Ironwood would be reading the notes in private regardless and would find everything. Neither of them had time to go into depth of every little thing that turned up in the report. Burns nodded back and plucked his cigarette from his mouth to tap away some ash.

"So, obviously we know the reason why we did the evaluation. We wanted to make sure the kid was holding up well after the Aura transfer from Sergeant Silva because we have no idea what the side effects are for humans, yadda, yadda," Burns answered back with a wave of his hand.

"Right," Ironwood said with a cross of his arms.

"Smartass nature aside, the kid passed everything physically. He was already up and moving in bed when we found him and he was able to walk fine. Reflexes and eye coordination was fine, so were his memories about the mission."

"So what is the problem?"

Burns sighed and turned the page on his clipboard that was compressed from top to bottom with tiny, neat writing to gather as much information as possible.

"I've got two problems with this, sir," said Burns.

Ironwood motioned for him to get on with it and waited patiently for his old friend to exhale more smoke from his cigarette.

"I would say the biggest red flag is this bit here," Burns circled the first half of the page of notes. "After talking with him, Blackburn said recently he's been having these so called dreams that came in a sequential order with the past week and a half, just before the start of the last mission."

"What were these dreams?" Ironwood asked.

Burns was silent and although it was brief, a flicker of disbelief showed in them. It was the same twitch of surprise that made him seek out the smoke he wanted before their talk.

"Dreams manifest themselves in many ways, sir. What he experienced wasn't a dream. It was memory. I'm not sure what all you told him about Sergeant Silva, but everything he recalled from that dream he had was spot on accurate from the last mission he had. The one where he never recovered from Aura Exhaustion," said Burns.

A chill went down Ironwood's spine. He looked back at Burns, expecting him to crack a smile and say he was joking, but it never came.

"You're sure?" Ironwood asked again.

"Sir, he remembered everything. The city evacuation, defending the gate, reinforcing my son's…" Burns trailed off.

Burns took another long puff of his cigarette to calm down. He was getting flustered and needed a quick out to recollect himself.

"Reinforcing my son's platoon, seeing him die. Everything," Burns managed to finish.

He tapped more ash from the cigarette and stayed silent for a moment. Not just to allow him to soak in the information, but to clear his mind of the memory he no longer wanted to remember.

Ironwood remained silent and although the whole subject was fascinating, it was cause for concern. This was leading into one of the many hypotheses that came with an Aura transfer that Atlas scientists and doctors presented to him with the initial proposal of the possibility. Granted the situation was built to be around someone who had an Aura of their own, it still applied in this case.

Aura was the manifestation of one's soul and if it were to be transferred to another, it ran the risk of mingling with the other and could do one of two things. The first and preferred outcome would be it somehow fell into harmony and allowed usage of a secondary reserve to create a stronger fighter. The latter possibility was assimilation. The foreign Aura would struggle with the user's Aura and eventually one would take over the other and cause a change, the most likely outcomes being with personality and memory.

"But Blackburn didn't have an Aura when the transfer took place, so it should have been an easy adjustment with no conflict, right?" Ironwood asked.

"In a perfect world, yes sir," Burns said with a sigh. "However, I'd say that not having his own Aura from the get go may have opened the door to assimilation. With nothing to counter it, his body is making Hector's Aura into his own, but it's coming at the cost of memory."

"Is there a risk he'll lose sight of his own memories in place of Hector's?"

"It's possible, sir, but only time will tell. And this leads into the next concern that I have."

Burns flicked his cigarette over the railing and watched it vanish to the city below. He turned his notes to the next page. It was not as cluttered, but broken off into different segments.

"I want him to start doing biweekly checkups to check his physical state," said Burns.

Ironwood blinked and looked at his old friend curiously. Blackburn's health was reported to be normal, so why did that require frequent visits down the road? His questioning gaze made Burns sigh and his free hand buried itself in his pocket.

"You know as well as I do the consequences of Aura Exhaustion. We've seen it happen, but I'm sure the most prominent one is Sergeant Silva's incident," Burns began.

"Precisely," Ironwood said with a nod.

"The reason why I want him to start coming in for routine checkups is more of a precaution on my end, and a very probable factor we need to take into account."

"Which is?"

"It's more of a theory, but it's something we need to consider. Since Blackburn did not have an Aura of his own and we essentially crammed Hector's into him, I feel that his body may not be able to take continuous incidents like this one. The Aura may be too volatile for him to handle and it could take a toll on his body to the point it may be irreversible. And this doesn't go for just training, but for missions as well."

A frown came to Ironwood's face. This was not what he wanted to hear, especially with how well Blackburn had handled the transfer and the signs he had shown to its effects so far. His training with Winter had been positive and he had not shown any signs of anything negative until this recent checkup before his release.

"Aura Exhaustion is the worst case scenario since it's one's limit being pushed beyond what it can do for both soul and body. To be honest, I'm surprised the kid recovered as fast as he did after experiencing it. It's nothing short of a miracle for him, but at the same time, his recovery will need to be monitored and that will give me an idea of whether or not this is a problem," said Burns.

"You released him, though. Why would you release him if he wasn't fully recovered?" Ironwood replied.

"True, but that's just the requirement to leave. You may pass the tests to checkout, but it takes at least an additional two weeks for the body to recover with additional rest to be at full strength."

"Do you have anything to go off of record for him to see whether or not there will be a difference in his physical state?"

Burns nodded and flipped to three additional pages that were signed by Winter that recorded Blackburn's current strength and skill with his Aura, dated just before the last mission.

"If he falls anywhere below these levels, it's cause for concern, but it could also just be a delayed recovery as well. That's why I want to monitor him from here on out," said Burns.

Ironwood bit the inside of his lip as he looked at the levels recorded by Winter. He prayed that this was just a minor setback and not a growing problem.

"What if this is a lingering issue? Will his body show any signs of deteriorating?" Ironwood asked.

Burns shook his head with a shrug. The doctor sighed and met his eyes after setting the papers in order.

"Most likely, but I can't answer that with confidence. Unless we see it in the checkups and if becomes more apparent if he has another case of Aura Exhaustion, it may be more concrete," he answered.

"I truly hope that this is wrong. We've come this far and it's been successful," said Ironwood pulling his flask out for another sip. "If it worked for a synthetic being like Penny Polendina, it can work for man."

"Everything has limits, sir. I'm not saying I'm right, but I'm not saying I'm wrong either. All I'm saying is that you may have to play your cards soon with whatever this experiment was for."

Ironwood nodded curtly and tucked his flask back in his pocket. He took the clipboard from Burns who handed it over to him and returned his focus to countryside in the distance. Another click sounded from his left as Burns lit another cigarette, hopefully he could enjoy this one without having to give bad news.

"Did you need anything else from me, sir?" Burns asked as he leaned on the railing.

The general shook his head and offered him a small smile.

"No, thank you, Rowan." Ironwood unlocked the door and opened it.

Just before he left, Burns spoke up once more.

"Sir, you know that I'm reserved about that day. It was a bad day for everyone, but I want you to know that I don't blame you, Lieutenant Schnee or Sergeant Silva for what happened to Roy."

Ironwood was silent as he absorbed the doctor's words. That day was indeed rough on all of them, but the two who took it the worst was Rowan and Winter. Rowan lost his son, and Winter was leading the mission and was held accountable for losing a platoon of men. Both of them would never forget that day for different reasons, and it created an awkward rift between the three of them that was never addressed after the dust had settled.

"He did what he wanted to do by serving his country and helping others, and blaming it on any of you would be an insult to his memory," said Burns.

Ironwood felt the corner of his mouth twitch. Those were the words that had become engrained into the head of soldiers and their families. Every time one fell in battle and their next of kin was informed, it always came to the same song and dance about recounting their heroism and why they died. How their sacrifices were not in vain and that they died for the man next to them and protecting others.

Although he never voiced it to anyone, Ironwood often times found himself reflecting on those words. Did they really hold meaning to them, or were they just empty words in the eyes of the loved ones left behind?

He shook his head and decided to return to his office to review Burns' report in full detail.

"Thank you, Rowan," said Ironwood as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Winter reached the airstrip and her eyes scanned the windy deck for Blackburn. Off towards the center of it, she could see him conversing with another soldier. She looked herself over quick to make sure she was presentable and strode forth after adjusting her clothes.

"Connor!" Her voice carried over the airstrip.

Blackburn turned to her direction looking mildly surprised, but a small smile came to his face as he waved at her.

"Hey. What are you doing up here?" He answered as she stopped before him.

She offered him a flippant stare which made him smirk back.

"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing, but since your tongue is still sharp, I suppose you're just fine," she retorted with a sly smile of her own.

"Would you expect anything less of me?" He held his arms out.

"No, but it would be a welcome change of pace."

The pair of them laughed lightly at the witty banter exchange that had become routine for them since they started their training. It had only been a week, but she had greatly missed talking to the man in front of her. He was one of the few she could talk to outside of Weiss, General Ironwood, Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle without it feeling tedious.

Her eyes fell upon the tin tucked under his arm and the cards.

"I see you received the gifts from my sister's team and Coco's team," she said with a nod at the tin.

"Yeah, I did. I wasn't expecting them, but it was a nice surprise. I'll have to thank them when I get back to Beacon," said Blackburn.

"Naturally."

A small pause fell between them, but it gave her the chance to remind herself why she tried to catch him in the first place.

"Actually, do you have a moment? I have something I want to give you," said Winter.

"Uh, sure. What is it?" Blackburn answered back.

"You'll find out. Come with me."

She led him off of the airstrip and back down to the main deck. On their walk towards her office, she asked him about his checkup with Doctor Burns. It was there that she noticed a slight shift in his attitude. He seemed picky with what he told her and somewhat distant as he recalled the visit. Something to make note of for later for a talk with General Ironwood, but she took it in stride. Other than that, he appeared normal.

They came to a stop outside of her office and she opened the door after holding her scroll up to the terminal. The door slid open and the lights switched on as they stepped inside. When the door closed behind them, Winter made her way to her desk and motioned for him to take a seat.

She sat down in her chair and waited for him to do the same. Once he set his gifts down in the chair beside him and took his seat, she reached into a drawer to her right. She pulled out a folded up piece of paper and set it before him.

"What's that?" Blackburn pointed at the paper.

"You'll know soon enough, but I know you'll appreciate it. Before we go any further, I wanted to thank you," said Winter.

She saw him blink again and tilt his head in mild confusion.

"Thank me for what?" Blackburn asked.

"For what you did during the mission. You kept your word and kept Weiss safe, and saved her life on top of it," she said in return.

"It's nothing," Blackburn tried to dismiss it with a wave. "I would have done the same for anyone in that situation."

"It's not nothing," she replied with a firm tone. "Before the mission started I was conflicted about whether or not I made the right call in asking for you to be a team leader, and I almost reconsidered the whole thing when Ozpin said he would put you in charge of Weiss' team."

Her hands closed together and a knot formed in her stomach as her mind reflected on the conversation the two of them had prior to the mission at the end of their training. Back then she had regretted her decision to run with Ozpin's plan and felt little regret with her words to Blackburn. He placed his trust into her to train him, but she could not do the same with him back then.

Everyone deserved a chance, and she knew that better than anybody. After she lost a whole platoon under her command, she thought her career was done, but Ironwood held strong confidence in her and kept her in his ranks. From that day she was grateful for having another chance and growing as a leader. A leader had to have faith in their subordinate to get the job done, and she had none with Blackburn before the mission.

After what took place on the mission, she was feeling regret for her treatment towards him. If Ironwood put faith in her after losing dozens of his men, she should have done the same for Blackburn and given him a chance instead of doubting the decision. All of this stemmed from the first mission they shared together with Team CFVY in Vale that left her disgruntled about his disobedience.

"It was not fair of me to do that, and after I read the report, I only thought about what would have happened if you were not there and someone else was in your place," said Winter.

She saw him frown as she continued talking.

"You weren't wrong to do that, Winter. It's my own fault for you acting like that, anyway," said Blackburn. "I mean, this is about our first mission in Vale, right?"

She nodded back at him and he sighed.

"I went against your orders and betrayed your trust in me, so it was only natural you did what you did. Don't drive yourself nuts with guilt. As an officer, your job is to make decisions and lead your men. You made a decision, and it ultimately worked out in the end despite your reservations about it. It happened, it's done, don't dwell on it anymore, okay?" Blackburn said with an almost unbearably passive tone.

Her jaw clenched as her teeth ground together at the simple dismissal from the man before her. It was so infuriating! How could he say that without so much as batting an eye?

"Look, if we're being honest here, then I should be the one apologizing," said Blackburn.

"What do you mean?" Winter met his gaze again.

"Our mission in Vale. I owe you an apology for going against your orders to stand down."

She shook her head in disbelief. Where was this coming from all of a sudden? This was the guy who told her to stuff it and stuck to his decision, but here he was apologizing.

"That day I took a gamble and got lucky it worked out the way it did. If it didn't, we wouldn't be where we are now. I let something from my past dictate my actions and disregarded your orders. You had every right to be pissed I did that," said Blackburn.

"What makes you say that?" Winter asked, now curious for the change of opinion.

"I've never had to lead before. I'm not an NCO, so I never had the responsibility of leading men into battle or leading a team. When you put me in charge of that last mission, it gave me a whole new perspective of the job."

"How so?"

He grimaced and let out a light chuckle.

"The frustration of someone disobeying your orders. I had a perfect plan in place to allow us to do a sweep of that compound, but Blake ended up doing the same thing I did to you. The plan went to shit when she tried to stop the train and got us compromised earlier than I planned," he said.

"Oh…" said Winter.

Talk about irony. His first mission to give him a taste in being a leader to a team goes wrong because of a disobedient person under his command.

"I see," she said as she folded her hands in front of her.

"So, yeah, you weren't wrong in any way," said Blackburn, scratching his stubble filled face.

A small smile spread across her lips and she shook her head.

"I'll tell you what. I'll stop thinking about what I did to you if you don't dwell on what happened on your mission. Deal?"

At last she saw the cocky smirk return to his face and he nodded back.

"Deal."

She pushed the folded paper on her desk to him and he went to open it, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Read that over in private and we can discuss it after our next training session. You need at least two more days to recover before we do anything," she said.

"Private?" Blackburn parroted back before he comically opened his eyes wide. "Oh my god… you gave me a love note!"

She was briefly taken aback and was about to retort, but remembered who she was dealing with. This was the same guy who had a wise crack retort for every little thing, much like Qrow. If the two of them ever met, they would be drinking buddies with no questions asked. She almost took the bait he put in front of her, but would not give him the luxury of tricking her.

Instead, she hit him with a counter of her own. The smile on her face vanished and was replaced with a thin line as her eyes fixed him with the most flat look she could muster.

"We're having a moment here, you idiot. Don't ruin it," she said.

"Whatever you say," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

She smiled again and her hand went back into the drawer to pull out his scroll. His eyes fell on it and she shifted a little in her seat.

"I'm sorry I took this without your permission, but we needed that photo of the HVI you took so Shadow could confirm a theory that Sergeant Green had," said Winter.

"Theory?" Blackburn asked as he opened the tin of cookies to his side.

She nodded and thanked him when he offered one to her. Her fingers pinched the soft treat and she took a bite of it. It was fresh and she made a mental note to compliment Weiss on a job well done.

"Sergeant Green thought that the HVI you found was Banesaw," said Winter.

"Oh, yeah, that big dude that Shadow almost crapped himself telling us about?" Blackburn asked for clarification.

"The very same."

"And?"

"Well, he looked scared out of his wits when he saw him on the monitor."

Blackburn laughed and clapped his hands at her response and she, too, chuckled lightly. When he finished laughing, he reached out for his scroll, but she did not hand it over. Not until she had her fun.

"You know, I listened to all the music you had on this thing," said Winter.

"Yeah? What'd you think?" Blackburn asked as if knowing the answer.

"Not my cup of tea."

"Figures. A lot of the stuff I listen to tends to turn people away. I like my loud and angry music, but at least some can stomach the country."

Winter smiled again as she fiddled with the scroll.

"I didn't say it was all bad…" she cut him off. "While I'm not fond of most of the stuff on here, I took the liberty of downloading some of it for myself."

She watched him perk up with her last response.

"Really? What'd you take?" He asked.

"Let's see," said Winter as she rested her scroll on the desk.

A large monitor came between them and she navigated her way to her miscellaneous files. When she brought up the music she took, she watched Blackburn eye list. His looks varied between nods of acknowledgment to mild surprise.

She looked back up at the list she took for herself. The most prominent ones that caught her eye was Breaking Benjamin, Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, Coheed and Cambria, Thousand Foot Krutch, Wayland, and Jason Aldean. There were more, but those were the few that she truly found herself listening to time and again as she worked.

"Didn't expect some of those at all," said Blackburn.

Winter shrugged and closed down the screen and leaned back in her chair.

"I like being able to hear the vocals. If I can't hear them, it's hard for me to get attached," she offered her opinion.

"Understandable," Blackburn said with a light shrug.

"Weiss is another story, though. If she knew about a mere fraction of the music I found on your scroll, she would be your best friend."

Once again, the man looked stunned at her words and she laughed at him.

"You're shitting me, right?" He asked with a raised brow.

"No." She shook her head, still laughing.

"Weiss?"

"My younger sister, yes."

"She doesn't…"

"Seem like the type to like that?"

Blackburn only nodded back in silent surprise.

"Well, you can thank our father for that. His overbearing and controlling personality made her rebellious. As a result, she took to singing and found that anything angry was a good source for inspiration and the rest is history," said Winter with a small sigh.

"I'm seriously at a loss for words," said Blackburn as he closed the tin of cookies.

"Clearly."

He stood up with a long stretch, ready to leave. She cast a glance at the clock and was somewhat shocked at how much time had passed since they started their talk. A whole hour. It felt like she had talked to Blackburn for less than that, but was no regretting it one bit. It was refreshing to spend time with a friend, especially after his hospital stay.

She got up from her chair and walked with him to the door of her office. He was about to open the door and show himself out, but he stopped and turned back to her.

"Can I have my scroll back?" He held out his hand.

"Of course," she said, holding it out for him to take.

Just before his fingers made contact with it, she reeled it back and a small smirk danced on her lips.

"I just have one question for you, though," she began.

"Sure," he said as he leaned on the door.

"Do you secretly do dance routines to boy bands in your spare time?"

She suppressed a snort as Blackburn's face went pale and his eyes widened in horror. This was too good. She relished in his gob smacked expression. His face was red as he opened and closed his mouth as if he was trying to find the words to say.

"Christ, did you go through all of my photos?" He asked, trying his best to hide his embarrassment.

"Enough," she teased back.

"Give it back."

"Just admit it and I'll give it back to you."

A loud crash came as the tin of cookies fell to the floor. Before she could react, Winter found her wrists pinned above her head by a firm hand and Blackburn's leg between both of hers. His free hand was resting on his scroll. She broke free from her stupor and offered him a small glare as he looked back at her with that signature, smug smirk. Try as she might to make her glare intimidating, it was betrayed by the hot, burning feeling on the back of her neck.

Blackburn's voice was low, but playful as he looked her in the eyes.

"Bit of advice, LT. Next time you play a game of keep away, make sure the guy you're playing against has crappy reflexes."

She felt the scroll disappear from her hands and the door opened. Blackburn offered her a parting smile and left the room after picking up the tin of cookies he dropped moments before.

It took the door closing to snap her back to reality.

* * *

Meanwhile, Blackburn was making his way back to the airstrip. His eyes trailed down to the stack of cards and the folded paper that Winter gave him. He rounded the corner and unfolded the paper to read it over.

The format was similar to one he had seen a long time ago when he was looking over Sergeant Carlson's shoulder. It was what he could only assume an NCOER written by Winter herself.

 _"Did she go out of her way to evaluate me?"_ He looked it over.

It was definitely something that surprised him. Although they worked together on missions, he answered to Ozpin, not her. If he had taken up Ironwood's offer to be in the Atlas Military, then this would be a different story. Hell, it was possible she could have been his rater if that was the case. This was something that Winter had done for him on her own time, possibly as thanks for helping her and General Ironwood with their continued operations.

If she didn't utterly kill him for messing with her a minute ago when they next met up, he would be sure to thank her.

* * *

 **That's the chapter folks. We get some more insight to the Aura transfer and will continue with the story again next time. Check out the information below, and I'll see you all next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next update is scheduled for Nov. 24th. Hope you're looking forward to that on your turkey weekend.**

 **2.) Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Be sure to thank any serviceman you see, because whether you believe it or not, only 1% of our country has taken up the task to defend our nation, and I'm proud to be a part of that group.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **HVI: High Valued Individual**

 **LT: Abbreviation for lieutenant**

 **NCOER: Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report. In a nutshell, it's a progress report given to an NCO who is in a leadership position and gives them critique on how they've executed their job. Any positives and room for improvement will be on this report.**

 **Reviewer Responses:**

 **TopHatGuy: I'm glad the last chapter cleared up the confusion you had. Thanks for the review.**

 **PyromaniacRabbit: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! Well, remember, Blackburn's Semblance isn't foresight, it's a high speed adrenaline rush that allows him to see things moving 90% slower as it's happening in real time when he activates it to allow him a chance to attack or defend himself. And this chapter shows that your original belief isn't the only thing for side effects.**

 **redx1221: Hey, thanks for the reviews you left, and I'm glad to see you're enjoying the story! Really? Which branch is your brother? Well, Team JNPR are more side characters in this story, so that's probably not going to come into fruition, sorry bud. Hope you enjoy this chapter here!**


	27. Dear John

**Hey everybody, I'm here with the update. I apologize for missing the deadline. Holiday weekend caught up with me and I ended up spending it with some people I've been friends with since preschool that I hadn't seen in ages, and I also went and did some major editing on this chapter since I didn't like how it looked at first, but it's here now!**

 **Once again, thank you so much for the continued support, it means a lot to me. And since I appreciate you all so much, I do everything I can to make this story enjoyable so you can keep coming back to it. Now, without further delay, let's get to the chapter.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Saturday. The beginning of a weekend that held promise of fun and time to accomplish tasks for people who worked hard all week. For Winter, it usually meant being one of the officers on duty for a short shift before having time to do whatever it was she wanted. However, today was different. For the first time in a long time, she was not scheduled for duty and had the day to herself. She was sure General Ironwood had a hand in her day off with all of the work she had been doing lately.

This would be the time she would be eating breakfast after conducting personal hygiene, but now that she was off, she did something she had not done in a long time. Winter had slept in and woke up just after seven. Her room was dark courtesy of her drapes blocking the light that spilled in from her window.

Her arms rested under her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling lost in thought. The day was hers, and she was having trouble deciding on how to spend it. She could always train and do PT, but that was her daily routine and it would be a great breather to not do that. Then again, she could always go into Vale and spend the day treating herself to a spa visit or to a movie. She shook her head again. Too boring, especially with no one to go with.

She blew a strand of hair out of her face and sucked her teeth. This was going swimmingly. How did Weiss occupy herself when she had downtime?

Winter blinked and a thought came to her as she thought about her younger sister. She did promise she could help Weiss with her Semblance training, and with a whole day at her disposal, it was the prime time to make good of it.

She glanced at the clock at her bedside table. It was now ten past the hour and she had yet to pry herself from the comfy confines of her bed. Her arm reached towards the clock and her fingertips brushed her scroll just to the side of it.

She brought the scroll to her face and opened it to text Weiss and see what her plans were. No point in acting on her plan unless Weiss was up for it. She looked at her message one more time before hitting the send button and waited for her sister to reply.

While she waited, her mind began to wander again. How could it be this hard to think of something to do on a day normal people would kill to have after working for days on end? Was she really that helpless without structure? Every day she had an agenda that kept her occupied, and now that she did not have that in place, she felt lost, almost naked.

 _"I wonder how Connor deals with this?"_ Her thoughts drifted back to her friend.

Her lips pursed in mild irritation as the man entered her thoughts. The events of the previous day were still fresh in her mind. The time they spent together was some of the most fun she had in a while. To be able to spend time with a friend and not have a care in the world was refreshing, even more so when she got to tease him about the video she found on his scroll. The look on his face made a smile stretch across her lips and she giggled lightly.

That was the first time she ever turned the tables on him and managed to fluster him. Sure, they both got emotional when their views were thrown into the light and they argued, but she never rendered him speechless like she did yesterday. Her first victory that she relished in, but like before, Blackburn somehow countered her back.

Her eyes flicked over to the other side of the room where he pinned her against the wall after she teased him. It was strange. If anyone tried that with her, it would have led to a quick beat down and reprimand, but she relented from it yesterday.

She could still feel the firm grip that Blackburn had on her wrists as he held them in place above her head, his leg wedged between hers to keep her from moving. His brown eyes that bore into hers brimmed with silent strength, not once wavering as he challenged her.

The same burning sensation she felt on the back of her neck returned, but this time she could feel it rush up to her face. She shook her head and sat upright and buried her face in her hands.

"I can't believe he did that," she muttered under her breath.

A buzz came from her scroll and her eyes immediately turned to it to look at Weiss' response, but she frowned when she saw the name that was highlighted on the screen. She watched it vibrate two more times on the cabinet and reached for it and brought it to eye level. After clearing her mind and bracing for the unpleasant conversation to follow, she answered the call on the last ring.

"Hello?" Winter said.

A small scoff came from the opposite end of the line.

"I was beginning to think you were going to ignore my call," the man answered back.

"I was busy with work. My apologies for not answering as quick as you wanted," she replied with a small bite.

The man let out another scoff from his side of the line.

"Well, I suppose that's one thing you and I have in common. Our work is important," he said.

Winter closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. She did not need this now and decided to cut to the chase.

"Why are you calling, Father?" She asked.

"You should know why. The annual SDC banquet is taking place in two weeks and I have yet to hear a reply from you. You know I invited you and General Ironwood to attend," said Jacques.

"And as I mentioned earlier, I've been busy with important matters. That was not the most important thing on my mind."

She could almost feel her father's eyes glaring at her through the scroll.

"Regardless, I need to know to have the final numbers for logistical means so we have enough food and room for everyone attending," said Jacques.

"I will be there," said Winter as soundly as she could.

"Excellent. In addition to that, one of the businessmen I hope to expand with has a son who will be arriving stag. I would like you to attend the banquet with him."

Winter felt her lips curl into a nasty scowl and she silently cursed her father. The man would not stop with pestering her about possible suitors. Every year it had been the same song and dance. He would set her up with a handsome man, but the man's personality was far from pleasant and they were only in it to help their family increase their wealth.

Her mind raced and she desperately searched for something to save herself from the upcoming misery. Then she had it.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Father," she said.

"I beg your pardon?" Jacques replied.

"You heard me. I cannot attend the banquet with him because I'm already bringing a date."

There was a long pause after her last response. It was one of those uncomfortable ones that would make people squirm in discomfort and grow anxious for the next person's retort.

"I see," Jacques did not sound remotely pleased. "Is this man at least promising?"

"That depends on your definition of promising. I would not have asked him to attend if I thought he was not worth my time," said Winter.

"This is a first, then. You're taking the initiative for once and growing up."

Winter felt her mouth twitch at that remark. This was him being condescending for being thwarted. Something she mentally thanked Weiss for with the advice she took.

"I suppose I am. Now, are you finished? I have other things I need to do today," Winter said as she swung her legs over her bed.

"Very well, I will let you go. I'm looking forward to meeting this man you're bringing," said Jacques.

That was a lie and she knew it. She did not wait another second and quickly disconnected the call. That was one less problem to deal with, and although she was free of being matched with a terrible suitor, she now had another problem. She needed a date to go with her. If she showed up without one, her father would seize the opportunity to introduce her to the man he had in mind.

She got out of bed and gave a long stretch. The cool air graced her stomach as her shirt lifted enough to expose it. Her footsteps were light as she trekked to her bathroom to take a shower.

Winter entered the bathroom a moment later and flipped on the light. She set her scroll down on the counter and it lit up a moment later with Weiss' message back. Giving it a quick look, she smiled when her sister happily agreed to practicing with her Semblance and was expecting her later.

She messaged her sister back with a meeting place and time before setting her scroll back down. She removed her shirt and her bottoms, neatly stacking them on the opposite side of the counter and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her long hair fell past her shoulders and was strewn across her face. There were no bags under her eyes, having gotten plenty of sleep to keep them at bay. Some crust had accumulated on the corners of her eyes and she rid herself of them with a brush of her hand. She turned around and slid the shower door open and turned the faucet, allowing a jet of water to shoot down and splash on the floor.

It would take a minute for the water to heat up. Something she found laughable. One would think with a ship this large and filled with personnel they would have had great pluming to allow for instant hot water, but nothing was perfect. As the water heated up, she took another look at herself in the mirror and her eyes roamed her body.

Nothing was out of order. Her stomach was still flat and toned. Her arms were lean, thighs full, but not bulging with muscle to allow her to fight like she did. Skin was flawless, no blemishes or scars to be seen. All in all, nothing to be ashamed about, especially when she knew of the lingering stares from men she walked by.

She had nothing to worry about. Finding a date to her father's banquet would be easy.

With that in mind, she stepped into the shower to clean up.

* * *

Blackburn picked up the rubber ball in his hand and pressed down on it. It let out a loud squeak and he smiled down at Zwei who sat before him, tail wagging wildly. He held the ball up and the corgi immediately got all fours and bent into a play pose. His teeth poked out and his jaw trembled as if ready to bark.

"You want the ball? You want the ball, boy?" He asked as he moved it high and around him.

Zwei's eyes stayed fixed on the toy and he let out a bark. With a wind of his arm, Blackburn took a step forward and let the ball fly. The orange and blue toy soared across the field and Zwei shot after it like a rocket. As the ball began its descent to the grass, Zwei jumped high into the air and caught it in his mouth.

"Oh, good catch!" Blackburn praised him.

Zwei landed and bounded back for him, eager to go again. No matter how many times Blackburn threw the ball, he was always amazed by how much of a vertical jump the dog had. For a small dog, Zwei was filled with endless energy, even more than Axel.

He squatted and held out his hand and Zwei spat the ball out and scampered back. Blackburn made the ball squeak and threw the ball as hard as he could. It went high into the air and deep into the field, but once again, Zwei bolted after it without a second thought.

The corgi disappeared into the small bank of the hill where the ball went and he waited patiently for the dog to come back. As he waited for his furry friend, his mind drifted back to his conversation with Doctor Burns and his recent dreams. He could still remember how the man grew pale by the second as he relayed every bit of the dream he had from beginning to end. From the get go, he knew the dream was different from all the others he had since his time in the military and his time in Remnant.

It was like the doctor had said. Dreams were capable of manifesting in numerous ways, but there was a fine line between dreams and reality. Whenever he dreamed, he was capable of telling when he was with what was taking place, save for the rare dreams that seemed like they were in real time. In this case, this dream was a memory. The memory took place in sequential order. It was eerie. The foreboding presence that came with it was enough to rekindle a fear in him that had been suppressed through many battles.

He tossed the ball again after Zwei dropped it in front of him and he watched the corgi make another dash up the field.

The fear of death had been something he had faced time and again with every firefight he had been involved in, but it had gone to the back of his mind and became subconscious like his training. It was second nature and it got to the point that he was certain it would only resurface when he was on death's door. In this case, he was not on death's door, but he relived the memory of the man who was. Death had a weird way of signaling people that it was close, and when they noticed it, it put them on edge and filled them with panic.

His mind briefly trailed back to stories he heard, even before he joined the military regarding death. One in particular that stuck with him was a creature that was seen before death claimed someone, be it a crow, a cat, a moth, or a vulture, it was always creepy. The one he had been familiar with was the vulture as it feasted on the rotting carcasses of dead dogs, camels, and sometimes people. It was a disgusting thing to witness, but he could never tear his eyes from it when he saw them.

Then came the stories of foreshadowing, which is what reignited his fear. When he relived Hector's memory, the amount of death he witnessed and even Hector's near suicidal sacrifice, it set off warning alarms in his head. In the bottom of his gut he was sure that the dream was a warning to him. Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.

Doctor Burns had been very curt about his explanation of Aura Exhaustion, which was enough to make Blackburn regret his easy dismissal of it. He had lucked out, plain and simple. Had he been unlucky, he could have just as easily suffered the same fate as Hector.

Blackburn plopped down in the grass and rubbed his face to clear his head. He could feel Zwei's presence beside him and felt a smile tug on his lips when the dog hopped on his hind legs and licked his cheek.

His hand reached out and he scratched the sweet spot behind Zwei's ears as thanks for the comfort.

"You seriously want to spend more time with a dog than a girl?" Coco's voice met his ears.

Blackburn quickly swiveled his head around and could see the brunette behind him. She had a look of amusement on her face as she peered down at him through her sunglasses. Her hand rested on her hip as it stayed cocked off to the side.

"Dogs are man's best friend… so, yeah," he answered back with a light shrug.

Coco took a dramatic step back and placed a hand over her heart as if struck by his words making him chuckle.

"That's a blow to the ego there, Professor," she answered back.

"Well, a little humility can be good for you." He got to his feet.

Blackburn stretched and felt his back pop in doing so.

"So, are you ready to go?" Coco asked.

"Go where?" He rose a brow.

"Didn't you see my note? I'm burning that 'Not Date' cart you owe me, and I did warn you to not make me look for you."

He grimaced and gave a roll of his eyes.

"You're really not going to let that go, are you?" He crossed his arms.

"Not on your life." She smirked back.

A part of him told him to veto the deal he made with the minigun toting girl, but his character told him to maintain the promise and embrace it. It's not like it was a real date, anyway. There was not much he could do since he was still recovering, and he did not have much going on that day.

"Okay, let's go," said Blackburn.

Coco held up a hand to stop him.

"Uh-uh. Not just yet," she said with a shake of her head. "You've been playing with a dog and you stink. Clean up and meet me at the Bullheads in an hour."

"Anything else?" Blackburn gave her a flat look.

"I know I'm asking a lot from you, but wear something decent. I don't want you lookin' like a man child while we're out."

He bit his lip at the jab at his fashion style and made a note to get her back when he saw the cheeky smirk on her lips. The way she was talking to him was similar to how his mother, and to an extent, Alison would talk to him.

"Okay," he simply replied back.

"Good boy!" She chirped back as if talking to Zwei.

She turned on her heel and began her stride back to the school. As she walked, Blackburn noticed her put an extra sway in her hips.

 _"I'm sure she did that on purpose."_

* * *

Following Coco's instructions, Blackburn had cleaned himself up well. No longer smelling of sweat and dog, and instead a scent of fresh pine. He had trimmed his stubble down to proportion to keep a light beard and goatee. To top it off, he had put on a pair of khakis and a blue polo.

However, the young woman seemed to take her own advice and did the same thing. When she met him at the landing zone, he found himself staring at the girl longer than he should have. Much like his belief on his first day of teaching, he was sure that Beacon was secretly a school for supermodels, and that's exactly what the young brunette looked like.

The first thing Blackburn noticed was her sunglasses were now absent to put her brown eyes on full display that seemed to glow in the light. Around her neck was a cloth choker that matched her brown button up shirt that allowed for a fair amount of cleavage. She had on a pair of jeans that clung to her hips and a pair of brown heels.

"You clean up good, stud," she remarked as she led him down the sidewalk.

"Thanks," he answered back.

"But I bet you'll look better when we get you some new clothes."

"Which reminds me. Where exactly are we going for this? I'm not made of money."

Coco flashed him a smile and stopped just in front of him to meet his eyes.

"Where's the fun in spoiling it?" She asked.

"I hate shopping for clothes to begin with. Unless it's for work or hunting," he said.

"I wouldn't take you somewhere if I didn't think you can afford it. Besides, I know this place well."

Blackburn decided to take Coco's word for it and continued to follow her down the street. On their walk they caught up with each other and what he had missed during combat class. Glynda had kept pace with pitting teams to carry out team building exercises in the Emerald Forest outside of doing sparring every other day. A lot of teams were showing improvement which seemed to carry on outside of class with struggling individuals now growing stronger during one on one sparring. It was a sign that team cohesion was now a staple that benefited members who needed the extra motivation and push.

It filled Blackburn with a strong sense of pride seeing his proposal to Glynda achieving success. That was a confidence builder in the leadership department and something he would carry with pride. It served as a step in the right direction and was an improvement from his start as an assistant professor.

"Here we are," said Coco as she stopped in front of a large building.

Blackburn turned and his eyes fell upon the entrance to a mall. Inside, crowds of people met his eyes as they bustled between the shops. Malls were one of his least favorite places in the world and for a moment he strongly reconsidered going inside altogether. Crowds and confined spaces were the last thing he wanted to deal with.

"Come on," said Coco as she made for the doors.

"Yeah. Right behind ya'." He followed close behind.

The noise that welcomed them was loud. Footsteps, side conversations and laughter met his ears and through force of habit, Blackburn found his eyes doing a sweep of the area and casting quick glances to anyone that looked towards him and Coco. Many would have considered his actions riddled with paranoia, but he preferred to call it situational awareness. Something that had been engrained in his head throughout training and while down range conducting patrols.

He was only half paying attention on the walk and returned his focus to Coco when she came to another stop. This time they were standing in front of a store that carried an American Eagle vibe from the displays in the windows.

"Let's go," Coco practically pulled him into the store.

She let go of his hand after dragging him to the far side of the store that was stacked with jeans and dozens of button shirts. He inwardly groaned at seeing the confining and casual looking shirts that only screamed prison to him. He loved his t-shirts and jeans, but anything too casual or formal drove him up the wall.

Coco had given him a quick look over before taking to the shelves and pulling out one button up after the next to go with some jeans. The colors she chose were far from the ones he would have picked himself as they ranged from purple, white and powder blue. When she was done picking out everything she found, she could have passed for a rotating display.

"Think you got enough there?" He nodded at the clothes dangling off of her arms.

"Oh, quit being a baby," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You're setting me up to look like a metrosexual."

Coco tilted her head and rose a brow at him in disbelief.

"I'm only grabbing what I think will look good on you. You wear these out in public, girls will be all over you," she said.

Blackburn took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. The brunette's response was similar to his mother's whenever she took him clothes shopping before the start of the school year. She always made sure to get him a couple of polos and long sleeve button ups to go with his jeans in colors that he did not like. Her words were that they were "cute" and "looked good on him" every time they did it. It was all too familiar with Coco doing the same thing.

At this point, whatever got him out of there faster with minimum damage was all that he cared about. He marched to the dressing rooms with Coco behind him.

She handed him all of the clothes and sat down on the seat just before the empty stall they found. He closed the door and hung them on the rack beside the door.

If he was going through with this, he would at least find a way to make it fun for himself. His hands fished out his scroll and he opened up his playlist. He found the song he was looking for and put it on loop.

"What the hell are you doing?" Coco asked from the other side of the stall.

"If I'm doing this, I'm going to make it entertaining for myself," he answered back.

ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" began to play as he put on the purple shirt and the dark blue jeans. He stepped out of the stall a minute later after giving a quick look in the mirror and waited for Coco's judgment.

The brunette let out a wolf whistle as she eyed him up and down. Her grin was one of confidence and victory as she admired her clothing choice for him.

"Maybe I should throw some scarfs and sweaters into this little show you're giving me?" She leaned back with a sly smile.

"Fuck no," he said with a smirk of his own.

She laughed and clapped her hands.

"Fine. Now get back in there and let me see the rest." She pointed back to the stall.

One outfit after the next graced him and each one made Coco's grin grow. She was clearly enjoying herself. Whether it was the little fashion show she was putting him through or the music to make it resemble a montage from a romantic comedy was another story.

He had come back out with the last set she had picked out for him. Black pants and the powder blue shirt. When he looked up for her opinion, he saw her holding a black blazer to go on top of it.

"Last thing, I promise." She held up her hand.

"Let me see it." He held out his hand.

He took the blazer from Coco and put it on, it felt snug despite the fact it hugged his muscles. Blackburn held his arms out and looked at her for an opinion.

"What do you think?" He asked her.

She stepped up to him and reached for the blazer. Before he could ask what she was doing, she fastened the top button of the blazer and stepped back to admire the work.

"You look sharp, stud." Coco looked him up and down.

"Cool. Now, can I get out these?" He asked.

Coco perked up and nodded with a wicked smirk.

"Oh, by all means. I can go get some underwear for you now if you want to do that next," she said as she pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

"Okay, we're done." Blackburn strode into the stall.

"Aw, come on!"

Blackburn moved with speed that rivaled his sprint through gunfire as he changed out of the clothes and back into his khakis and polo. He took the clothes off the hangar and stepped out of the stall to find Coco waiting for him outside the fitting rooms.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Well, I did want an opinion on some lingerie…" She tapped her chin.

Blackburn blinked at the bold statement as he looked at her.

"But, that's what I got Velvet for." She finished with a small shrug.

She was toying with him and although he wouldn't admit it, she caught him off guard with the offhanded comment. He only shook his head after she laughed and followed her to the counter to pay for the clothes.

The clerk looked up at him and smiled.

"Will this be all for you today, sir…" She began, but stopped when she spotted Coco. "Oh, Miss Adel! I didn't see you!"

"Whitney, this place is like home to me!" Coco leaned forward on the counter.

"Well, duh! Your mom owns it!"

Blackburn perked up and sent a brief glance to Coco who did not meet his eyes, instead opting to keep her focus on Whitney. He saw Whitney turn her eyes on him.

"This guy your boyfriend?" Whitney eyed him up and down. "I always thought that Fox guy was your bae?"

"No, he's not my boyfriend. Just a friend with a fashion disaster," Coco easily dismissed it.

"His clothes look fine to me."

"Thank you!" Blackburn held his arms up.

"Only because I told him to clean up," Coco interjected with a knowing grin.

Whitney cocked a brow and leaned on the counter with a grin of her own.

"You sure he's not your boyfriend?" She asked again.

* * *

Blackburn leaned back in his chair and silently took in the pleasant scent of barbeque that lingered in the air of the restaurant they sat outside of. Since Coco put him through the nightmare of clothes shopping, she willingly let him pick out where they could eat to wrap up the day. Thankfully, she was more than eager to eat it, even saying that it was her favorite food.

"So, will you live?" Coco brought her drink to her lips.

"I will now," said Blackburn after sipping his beer.

"You know, if I hadn't seen you fight before, I'd say you were a huge pansy."

He rolled his eyes and swirled the contents of his bottle.

"Every man has his limits. Shopping is a death sentence for me unless it's outdoors related," said Blackburn.

"I don't see how me getting you fifty percent off of your new wardrobe is a death sentence," Coco retorted. "Besides, you were the one getting into it with the music."

"It was the only way to make it bearable."

The waiter came by and placed their appetizer of chips and dip on the table. Both were quick to snag a chip and dunk it in the dip. Their hands bumped into each other as they tried to be the first one to get the dip. With fast hands, Blackburn grabbed Coco's wrist when she went in again and scooped a large amount onto the chip in his free hand.

Coco's expression was a mixture of humor and mild annoyance.

"Not much of a gentleman either." She scooped her chip in a moment later. "Were you raised in a barn?"

"Well, I'm from Oklahoma, so that's not far off," said Blackburn.

Coco shook her head and took a bite out of her chip before leaning forward with a small smirk.

"You're kind of an asshole, too," she said in between bites.

Blackburn rose his brow at her as he brought his beer up for another sip.

"And you don't act like a lady. You need some soap for that mouth," he countered while taking a sip.

"Sure you don't want to clean it with yours?"

Blackburn choked and sputtered at the brunette's last retort and he went into a coughing fit. His face burned as others looked at him and Coco who burst out laughing as she leaned back in her seat. Beer had splashed on the front of his shirt and on his plate.

It took him a minute to recuperate from the flirty banter she hit him with.

"You think that's funny?" He wiped his mouth.

"No, it was hilarious." She wiped tear from her eye. "I really got you on that one, didn't I?"

Blackburn set his beer back on the table and turned his eyes away from the brunette. Her giggling fit continued for another solid minute before she managed to calm down.

"I'm guessing dirty talk wasn't your strong point when you had your girlfriend?" Coco took another chip from the basket.

He remained silent as she mentioned Alison again. She had been finding her way into his mind all day. It was the last thing he wanted to talk about, but in his last talk with Coco, he did say a day would come when he would talk about her. He had done everything in his power to bottle it up for months and had done well, but the cracks were growing bigger by the second.

"I instigated it whenever I was home with her, but she was just as good at it as me," he finally answered her.

Coco hummed under her breath and a smile came to her lips. She grabbed another chip and dipped it before leaning back in her chair.

"Really? What was she like?" She asked.

His fingers lightly drummed against his beer and he looked down at the table. Without a doubt, Alison was one of the best things that happened to him. She had been his girlfriend since his junior year of high school, and their getting together was one of the big pieces of reconnecting with his father.

"She was the classic girl next door," he began. "Really active in the community. Nice to everyone she met. Went to church every Sunday with her family. Smart, funny…"

He took another sip from his beer and he could feel the corners of his lips curve up in a genuine smile.

"The girl any guy would love to have. She was the kind that you could bring home to meet your mom, but could outdrink your dad and was tough as nails."

It was the former things he said that kept him from manning up to go ask her out to begin with. He had known her long time, and he never gave off much of a good impression. He was a troublemaker and he always noticed the disappointed look in her eyes and the frown on her face whenever he did something out of line in her presence. It didn't help that his family was well known through his parents and he drew a lot of poor opinions of the town and their neighbors.

Alison had grown up next door to him, so he would see her every day when going to school and coming home. Just as much on the weekends. Sometimes he got a front row seat to her tanning in her backyard during the summer and it was always a treat. Most of the guys in his class would kill to be in his position. Their interactions at first had been pretty basic, some simple waves, an uncomfortable smile here and there, sometimes a holiday greeting, but other than that they were in two completely different social standings. She was popular and liked, while he was a mix of jock and outcast that got into trouble.

"If I'm being honest, she was kind of like you and Winter," he answered back.

Coco nodded and was silent for a moment before speaking up.

"So how did you get together?"

"My dad helped me with that," he answered back. "He just got back from a deployment and was going to be home for a long time. My Junior Prom was coming up and dad asked me if I had a date lined up."

"And you didn't?"

"Nope. I didn't have a date, and when I told him that, he made it his personal goal to make sure I wouldn't go stag, otherwise I'd be a loser."

Coco smiled and leaned back in her seat, eager to hear more.

"So, he made sure I cleaned up and gave me precise instructions on how to talk to a girl and ask for a date," he continued.

"Was his advice solid?" Coco smirked back.

"It was. It was how he and my mom got together back in high school."

She looked a little surprised at the mention of his parents and how long they had been together. It wasn't something too uncommon back in the days of his grandparents and great grandparents. High school sweethearts often got married after school and started a family. It was just one of those smaller pieces of their culture.

"Anyway, I get all cleaned up. You know, face shaven, dressed up in my Sunday best, fresh breath, all that good stuff. And I remember I felt like the biggest dork since it was similar to how nerds somehow got a girl that was out of their league in the movies," he said with a light chuckle.

He remembered disagreeing with his dad on the whole plan. Not only was it corny, it seemed desperate. His father's counter was that he needed to be a kiss ass at this point if he wanted any hope of getting her to go to the prom with him at all.

"So it was right after church got out and we were leaving. Alison's family was sitting close to mine since her dad and my dad were buddies, and I remember just staring after her as she went outside. I was scared out of my mind, afraid of making an ass of myself and getting rejected," he went on as he massaged his temple.

"Did it go well?" Coco asked as she leaned forward.

He shook his head and grimaced.

"I managed to get outside and I caught her right before her and her family got in the car. She looked kind of surprised, but a little cautious when I asked if I could talk to her in private for a second."

He could still remember the hesitant expression on her face before she ultimately agreed. His mouth had gone dry and he could feel his face burning and starting to sweat, even though it wasn't hot outside. He walked her over to the tree by the church and broke the ice with a small conversation starter, probably about the weather, he could barely remember anymore. It wasn't as significant as the reason he called her over in the first place.

"I remember talking fast. Like, really fast to the point I knew she would have laughed at me. Fumbling over my words like an idiot and completely bombing hard, I was sure I struck out horribly," he said with a scratch of his chin.

"Did she laugh at you?" Coco asked, almost sounding sympathetic.

A small burning sensation came to his face and he only gave a curt nod back at her.

"She did. When that happened, I wanted to be anywhere but there. I even got ready to leave, but she stopped me and told me to take a deep breath and relax. So I regrouped, looked her in the eye and asked her if she'd be willing to go to the prom with me," he answered back.

After taking her advice and asking her to go with him to the prom, he felt much better. Like a huge weight was lifted from him, but it was soon followed by his heart pounding in anticipation.

"She didn't give me a straight answer, and instead asked me a question in place of it," said Blackburn.

"What did she ask you?" Coco covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"Why should I go with you? I've seen how you are. How can you prove that you won't act like a jackass?"

Coco's face scrunched up a little bit and she hissed, as if picturing the conversation playing out in her head.

"I was feeling surer of myself then because I was cocky, so I simply told her that if she gave me one chance to take her out on one date before prom to prove myself worthy, she wouldn't regret it. If she did, she could shoot me down in flames and go with whoever she wanted," he said with a small smile.

Coco rolled a pair of fingers to encourage him to continue.

"She agreed to it and I don't think I've ever been that excited or motivated in my life to prove someone wrong. So, instead of taking her to the classic dinner and a movie, we went for a hike in the woods and went swimming in the lake. Nothing boring, but something that focused on us talking and getting to know each other better, even some friendly competition with the swim," he continued before taking another swig of his beer.

They got back home late afternoon, just before dinner and he followed his dad's playbook again by opening her door to the truck and walking her back up to the front door of her house. Again, corny, but it felt like the gentlemanly thing to do. Just before she went inside, she turned back to look at him and flashed him the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

Her cheeks had perked up to show her dimples and her teeth were so white that they would have put some of the biggest actresses to shame. It only grew when she agreed to be his date to the prom. After she had gone inside, it took him a minute to leave her porch and head back to his house. When it finally registered with him, he climbed back into his truck and gave a loud whoop of accomplishment.

From there, it had been smooth sailing. Their Junior Prom came a week later and it was the same night she agreed to start going out with him. Soon days went by, then weeks, then months, and years. Their time together seemed endless, and ever since that night, they had been hard to separate.

He and Alison had exposed each other to their lifestyles throughout high school. He introduced her to the outdoors like fishing, camping, hunting, even fixing simple things on a car when they broke. She, in turn, made it her goal to change improve his attitude by exposing him to more community work and going to church frequently. It took getting used to, but both of them benefitted from the change of pace they offered each other.

"Sounds like you two were perfect for each other," said Coco as she took another drink from her glass.

"I thought we were, too," Blackburn agreed with a light shrug. "I mean, sure we had arguments and fights, but all couples do that. It's nothing that we couldn't move past."

Coco swirled her glass, watching the contents of it swish up and down the sides as she mulled over his words. Her brow was furrowed as though she were contemplating what to say next. She bit her lip and set her drink back down at the table before looking back up at him.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking…" She found her voice, "what caused the breakup between you and her?"

There it was.

He met her eyes and could see them filled with curiosity. She was no longer smiling. Her smile had been replaced with a small frown. It was a look he had not been accustomed to seeing her with, and if he were to be honest, it was not fitting for her.

Blackburn sighed and finished the rest of the beer in his bottle before setting it back on the table. The breakup had been something that had come out of left field for him. He had not seen the signs until it was too late.

"I guess we'd have to go back to when I enlisted," he began. "By this point, I was already set on it after high school. I hadn't applied to colleges like Alison had, and I wanted to earn my dad's respect. When I told her, she was proud of me and told me she would support the decision fully."

"Was she lying about that?" Coco asked

He shook his head. Alison had been surprised by his decision to enlist in the military, but did not once throw a fit and seemed ecstatic that he had a plan in place to support himself. And it was because of that that he ended up doing the very thing he believed caused the breakup in the first place.

"Where I come from, divorce rate is high for servicemen. Spouses leave each other because it just ends up being too much at the end of the day. My dad and mom are an anomaly exception, and I felt that Alison and I were in a similar situation," said Blackburn.

Coco sat upright and her eyes widened a little bit.

"You asked her to marry you?" She folded her arms.

He only nodded back, but held up a finger to stop her from asking another question.

"I did, but it wasn't before I went to Basic Training or anything like that. It happened before my first deployment. I told her that if she wanted to leave she could, to which she said she'd be waiting for me when I got back. The deal we agreed on was that if we could make it through one deployment and our relationship was still the same, I'd ask her to marry me," he answered.

His first deployment had come and gone, and during the deployment they managed to stay in touch with each other and carried on as best as they could. When he returned home, their relationship was still strong, if not stronger than before. He had gone out and bought her ring and showed it to his father and told him about his plan.

His father was not only surprised with his bold gesture, but he also was the first to give him some insight. The words still remained in his head, clear as day.

 _"You're going to do what you're going to do, boy. Personally, my advice would be to either marry a woman in the same line of work, or wait until your time is up. If you marry Alison and it doesn't work out, it's going to hurt you more in the long run._

 _Your relationship survived one deployment, and that's great. Just think about how this can go when you go on your next one, and then another and another. Guys like us are married to this job, and it gets hard to leave it. The stars were align for your mother and me, but you know that we've had our fair share of spats about this, too. At the end of the day, it's your call."_

Blackburn thanked the waiter when he came back with refills for him and Coco. He brought his beer to his lips and took a long drink from the bottle and grabbed another chip from the basket. He noticed that the dip had cooled off after talking for so long.

"So you didn't propose to her?" Coco tilted her head.

He shook his head.

"I had the ring, but I didn't ask her to marry me. In the end, I wanted to test our relationship one last time by going on another deployment. Before I left, I gave her the same offer I did before my first one, and she told me the exact same thing as last time," said Blackburn.

That was where he personally felt he screwed up. He promised Alison that she'd become his fiancé after his first deployment, but he took it upon himself to truly test their relationship again without really consulting her. Everything had been fine at the start of the second deployment. They still had their face times and their phone calls whenever he wasn't in the field with his platoon or on shift.

Then it started to change. It was small at first, missed calls, no face time, sometimes for days on end when he had been back at their base, and it wasn't for lack of trying on his end. He was always timely and had it down to a science when he and Alison would talk on the phone or have the face time on the laptop. First a call was missed, and then one face time session, which would then be made up for when he got a hold of her and she apologized for missing the window. He paid it no mind and did everything he could to avoid talking about the misses.

A little voice began to grow in the back of his head saying that it was the start of the downfall, but he ignored it, telling himself everything was fine. The doubt filled voice grew stronger with each miss that came, and they became frequent. More frequent than he wanted to admit, but he couldn't focus on that or get too distracted, either. His squad needed him on his game, and he could not afford to be distracted by any potential relationship issues that could easily be resolved if he managed to get online with Alison for just one night.

Then midway through the second deployment, there was nothing. He got the equivalent of radio silence from her from his sixth month into the tour and it remained silent until he had a month and a half left. In that time frame he dreaded speaking to her again, and he knew what was coming after their next conversation. He tried to convince himself everything was fine, despite all the signs that were in front of him.

Hell, even Carlson, Busch and Harvick told him that they were there to talk to him and even take him to the chaplain if it was all said and done. He brushed them aside, telling himself everything was fine, denying it.

"So my unit only has six weeks left of this tour, and I'm still trying to reach out to her. Finally I get through to her one night, and I don't bring up the fact she hasn't answered any of my calls or Skype conferences. You never want to start off by pointing out the obvious, and we both knew that our routine was broken long ago, so there wasn't much to be said that we didn't already know," said Blackburn.

Coco was silent, but the frown was still present on her face. Her expression was one of sympathy.

"What happened?" She asked as if knowing the answer already.

He took another long drink from his bottle. It was not something to take solace in, but it definitely helped numb the memories for a while.

"Well, she looked like a mess and distraught when we had our face time session, and I think it was right there that I knew it was done. She was distant the entire talk. We caught up on lost time, but towards the end of the conversation, she brought up the reason she hadn't answered any of the calls," he continued with his story.

About four months into his deployment, Alison met another man. They met at church one day and he invited her out for coffee shortly after. One coffee date turned into another, and several church community events later, they were dating. She didn't answer any of his calls because she wasn't just afraid to tell him what happened, but she didn't know how to break it to him, either.

"She gave me a Dear John over a face time in front of my squad, and I was going to be home in six weeks," he said, feeling his throat tighten.

After that conversation was done, he just sat there staring at his screen for the longest time. He felt the eyes of Busch, Carlson, Harvick and Coen on him from the other end of their tent, none of them saying a word. It was one of the many worst nightmares a soldier could go through.

"Fast forward four weeks after that, my squad got ambushed on a convoy to Bagram after we transitioned out of our outpost for out processing. I got blown up, then I woke up here. Just two weeks from going home."

It was a sick twist of irony that he found himself reflecting on when he was feeling low since he arrived on Remnant. The end of the deployment is supposed to boost morale for soldiers. The thought of leaving the sandbox, going home to your friends and family and loved ones, and returning to your civilian life was like the light at the end of the tunnel. A return to paradise. Instead, it did the complete opposite by giving him two back to back crushing blows.

He polished off the last of the bottle and set it back on the table.

"Do you really blame yourself for that?" Coco broke the silence, her eyes hardening into a firm stare.

Blackburn was somewhat taken aback by the look the brunette had given him, but answered back with a halfhearted shrug.

"Not all the blame, no. Alison had a part in that, too. But I keep wondering if it would have made a difference if I actually asked her to marry me like we planned. Would she have cheated, or would she have waited like last time?" He shook his head.

A sigh left him and he turned his gaze back down to the table. His hands gripped his arms tightly and a small shiver went down his back. This was the first time he had opened up about it, not even discussing it with the chaplain like he should have done. He had managed to dig a deep hole and bury all of it. With it finally coming to surface, it felt good to talk to someone about it.

His vision blurred and his eyes stung as tears began to build. Not bothering to hide it, he raised one hand wiped them free. One tear managed to beat him and it trickled down his face before clinging to his stubble.

Coco's arm entered his sight and her hand rested on his forearm firmly.

"I think your dad was right. You were better off not marrying her at the end of the day. I mean, look what would have happened if you did," she said.

"I know. I know. I just feel like I screwed myself on that," he said as he returned his gaze to her.

"And if you did, you would have been another statistic. I don't think it would have changed anything from the sound of it."

"Maybe…"

He felt her hand tighten on his arm and she shook her head.

"You need to let that go, Connor. Don't get hung up on a mistake some stupid girl made," said Coco.

He felt his brow crease at the jab Coco fired at Alison, but he did not retort back. The sharp look in her eyes suggested she would not tolerate any backtalk about the subject.

"Any woman who pisses away a great relationship with a faithful man is beyond help. God knows I know plenty of women that'd kill to have a man like you," Coco said as she released his arm.

She shook her head and tilted it back as she let the last of her drink race down her throat. She bit back a snarl, perhaps at the sharp taste that danced on her tongue from her drink, but she was bitter. No doubt about it.

The young woman was tough and blunt, but she could definitely comfort somebody when the situation called for it.

"Coco." He got her attention. "Thanks."

The smile returned to her face and she dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry about it, stud," she said.

Coco opened her wallet and set the lien for her half of the meal and her drink on the center of the table. She tucked her wallet back in her pocket and stood up with a long stretch.

"Ready to roll?" She asked.

He nodded up at her and fished out some lien from his wallet and set it on the table as well. Standing up, he grabbed the bag of clothes that he bought and followed the brunette out of the food court and down the corridor of shops to the exit.

* * *

 **So, there we have it. Long chapter and it finally covers Blackburn's relationship with his ex girlfriend Alison. That was the part that took forever to write because it just seemed off the first couple of times, but I think it looks much better than it did. Let me know what you all thought. Check out the statements and review responses below, and I'll see you next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next chapter update is set for 12/8/17.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **Dear John: A letter written by the soldier's wife, girlfriend, lover, etc. that informs them that their significant other has found another lover in their absence and leaving them for said lover.**

 **Down Range: The area where the soldier is being deployed or sent to overseas. Typically affiliated with combat zones.**

 **PT: Physical Training**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Fuzzyjacket: Thanks for the review. Now, I'll honestly just PM my response towards your question when I get a free minute to do so.**

 **The Mob Reader: Thanks for the review. We already cleared up what you intended to say. No worries about the pre-submitted review, it's cool.**

 **redx1221: Yeah, that's his semblance. It only made sense in my eyes given everything he's gone through so far as a soldier and his personality, so I felt that a high speed adrenaline rush was a perfect fit for him. Well, Winter and Blackburn have been getting along better since their initial meeting in the story, but I'm glad to see you'd support a ship between them.**

 **Goldspark1: Thanks for leaving a review as always. I really appreciate it. I only thought it made sense for Weiss to listen to that since she harbors a lot of spite towards her father for everything he has done. Not only that, but the music for "This Life is Mine" has heavy riffs in it, and I felt it would be a breath of fresh air to relate metal or rock music to Weiss because of it. Thanks again for the review!**


	28. Friendly Fire

**Sorry that this is a week late folks. Stuff came up and I got sick from a flu shot which has never happened before. Anyway, I'm here now with the update and it's a decent sized chapter. Thanks again for the continued support, it really means a lot to me. Now, sit back and enjoy. I'm going to go see "The Last Jedi" and catch Toonami later.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Blackburn walked beside Coco as they made their way to the exit of the mall. The early afternoon had thinned out the crowds that took to the food court for a break. He had kept quiet for the most part after their conversation about Alison. He hated awkward silences, but he was not sure what to say next. What could be a good conversation starter after discussing a breakup?

He shook his head as they rounded the corner and continued down the large hall. Sunlight poured in from the ceiling and heated the hall as they passed under the window. It was a scorcher of a summer day, reminiscent to his days back home in Oklahoma. Nice hot summer days where he would be outside spending time with his friends or at his grandfather's shop working when it wasn't unbearably humid. It even made him wonder how many storms hit in his absence. Living in tornado alley did give a front row seat to some incredible weather that he often went out to observe when the opportunity presented itself.

A shiver went down his spine when he went under an air vent. He returned his focus to the front and could see the exit ahead. Freedom from the confines of the mall was just ahead, and he could almost hear a choir of angels singing Hallelujah. He was about to pick up the pace, but something caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

Off to his right was a small hallway that led to the restrooms. Inside the hall, he could see a small kid sitting against it with his knees tucked into his chest and his face buried in his arms. He came to a dead halt and looked around. No one seemed to notice the boy alone. His sudden stop got Coco's attention.

"What's wrong?" She glanced back at him.

He nodded back at the hall and she walked back to take a look. The brunette blinked in surprise and looked between him and the boy.

"What's he doing by himself? Shouldn't he be with his parents or his friends?" She folded her arms.

"Not sure, but I'm going to find out," said Blackburn.

His feet carried him over to the hall and he set his bag down at the entrance. He then walked over to the boy who seemed to shrink into the wall as his shadow loomed over him. A frown spread across his face and he squatted before the boy.

"Hey buddy, what're you doing in here by yourself?" He asked him.

The boy said nothing and a muffled sniff escaped him. His shoulders shook with silent sobs. His voice was very quiet when he uttered his response.

"I can't find my mom. We were in the hall, but I stopped to tie my shoe."

Coco made her way over to them and stood beside him.

"When I looked up, she was gone. There were so many people and I couldn't…"

The boy let out another sob and sniffed again. Blackburn had his hand up and was about to place it on the kid's shoulder to calm him down, but stopped. He didn't want to scare the kid any more than he was and offered a sideways look to Coco who only nodded back. Taking the chance, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

"It's okay, buddy. You got scared. It happens," said Blackburn.

"Dad always said to be a big boy, but I can't stop crying," the boy said with another sniff.

"Worry about that later. Right now you should try to find your mom. Do you remember if she told you anything about getting lost here?"

The boy's shoulders stopped trembling and he finally looked up. His green eyes were shimmering with tears, but they were gone with a wipe of his hand. He managed to calm down enough to think about his words. When he shook his head, two additional ears popped out from under the mop of black hair. He was a Faunus to boot, too. It was no wonder he was alone. He was more than likely afraid of talking to people for fear of being scared off.

"She… she said something about a big room. It had a bunch of tables." The boy shook his head.

Blackburn blinked when the boy replied back to him. The only room that came to mind was the food court. He looked back at Coco and then to the boy who wiped his nose.

"You want us to help you find her?" He took his hand off the boy's shoulder.

The boy shook his head and looked back at him and Coco with cautious eyes.

"Mom said never to talk to strangers or go with them," he answered back.

Blackburn almost laughed since the boy broke the rule when he first spoke to him, but kept it down. Instead he smiled and held his hand out for a handshake.

"Well, I'll tell you what, your mom is a smart woman," he began. "But not every stranger is bad. It'd be no different if you were to talk to a security guard who works here to help you."

The boy eyed his hand and raised his own.

"I'm Connor, and this is Coco," said Blackburn as he pointed to himself and then to the brunette. "What's your name?"

The boy gripped his hand and shook it. His grip was strong and it screamed discipline, more than likely instilled from his father.

"Cole," the boy answered back.

"See? We're not strangers anymore." Blackburn stood up and pulled him to his feet. "Let's find your mom."

Cole nodded back and did not let go of his hand.

Blackburn guided Cole out of the hall and waited for Coco as she picked up the bags. When she got beside him, they started their trek back to the food court. He looked down at Cole and could see he had brightened up from earlier, but lurked behind him as they made their way through the masses of people.

"Aw, are you shy?" Coco smiled down at him.

Cole's face burned red and he poked his head out from behind Blackburn and stuck out his tongue defiantly.

"No!" He retorted.

"Oh, I think you are," Coco teased back with a wide smile.

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

Blackburn rose a brow at Coco's childish behavior to which she beamed back and giggled as Cole took refuge behind him again. He stopped and knelt before looking back at him.

"You want to hop on?" He asked with a small grin. "You'll be taller than her."

He ignored Coco's sideways glare at him, and Cole nodded and climbed onto his shoulders. Once he had a grip around the boy's ankles he stood up and started walking again. He could feel Cole's small hands resting on top of his head as he walked.

This time on their walk he felt more eyes drawn to them. If one were to look at it, he, Cole and Coco would have looked like a family out for a day together. The looks varied from smiles to mild confusion as they looked up at Cole's ears and back to him and Coco. Trying to piece together information that didn't make sense provided for some good entertainment, and Blackburn only smiled as they walked by the onlookers.

By the time they reached the food court it was jam packed with barely any wiggle room. Tables were full and the talk that filled the room was easy to drown out anyone who wasn't speaking loud enough.

"What does your mom look like?" Coco looked up at Cole.

"Um…" Cole looked around the food court for her. "She's short and has long black hair. She also has two ears like me."

He stroked his ears up to emphasize his point and returned his focus to the sea of people before him. His description easily matched a good chunk of the women there. A lot of dark haired women met their eyes, but only a handful had Faunus traits visible that sat atop their heads.

"Let's keep looking. She's probably looking for you and you'll be easier to spot." Blackburn began moving through the tables.

"Mom!" Cole called out from above him.

They continued their walk around the food court, all the while checking on the women that matched Cole's words. Each one they came across, the boy's face grew less and less bright as the hope began to leave him. In an attempt to keep the boy hopeful, he gave his ankles a reassuring squeeze.

"She's here, buddy. We'll find her," said Blackburn as he tilted his head up to look at him.

He, Coco and Cole made their way out of the center of the food court and lingered near a couple of concession stands. As they continued looking for Cole's mother, Coco made her way to a nearby stand and came back with a small soda to cheer him up. When the boy took the soda from Coco he thanked her and sipped on it calmly through the straw.

"Aw, look at you being the substitute mom," Blackburn whispered to her.

"Shut up," Coco muttered back with a somewhat red face.

"That was a compliment."

"I know, but still. I'm young and hot and have no intention of pumping out any kids until I'm older."

"I'm sure that becoming a mom doesn't lower your beauty. Haven't you heard of the term MILF?"

Coco's brow furrowed in thought before she nodded with a light shrug.

"I guess you have a point," she said. "What do you think?"

"What do you mean?" Blackburn looked back at her.

A wicked grin spread across her face and her arms folded just under her breasts to puff them out.

"Think I'd make a good MILF?" She asked.

Blackburn cleared his throat and his face went flat at the bait she tried to hit him with. He had been taking her flirting in stride all day and even flirted back once or twice, but he really needed to draw the line. The fact of the matter was she was a student and he was her teacher. There needed to be a professional relationship between the two of them as long as their tenure was at Beacon, lest he wanted to be fired for fraternization. He was already treading on thin ice by spending time with her like he was.

"Okay, seriously, you need to stop," he said.

"Oh, come on. We're just having fun," Coco replied with a roll of her eyes.

"There's a fine line between fun and being professional, Coco. Asking me to answer that question is one of them."

"Even though we're good friends and I'm willingly engaging?"

Her brow arched up in an exaggerated movement.

"Yeah, even then." Blackburn nodded back. "Look, don't get me wrong. I've had a lot of fun hanging out with you and you've cheered me up about Alison, but we need to be professionals. You're my student and I'm your teacher. So long as we are both at Beacon, we have to maintain that relationship. We can be friends, but anything outside of that is a no go."

Coco was silent as she stared back at him. It was difficult to read her since she offered no visible emotion to be seen. No glare. No frown. No cross of the arms. Just a long stare back. She finally shrugged back and offered him a small smirk.

"Okay Connor, I'll humor you if it helps keep your pants on," she answered.

"Thank you," he said with a small smile of his own.

"But when I graduate, it's game on."

He was about to retort, but held his tongue. She agreed to stop and that was all that mattered for now. And at the end of the day they were still good friends, and her friendship was something he wanted to hold on to.

Blackburn looked up at Cole after the boy lightly poked the top of his head.

"What's up, buddy?" He asked him.

"What's a MILF?" Cole looked between him and Coco.

Blackburn felt the color drain from his face and Coco didn't look much better. They had completely forgotten they were supervising a lost child who was ignorant to the context of their conversation. He looked at the brunette who adamantly shook her head and pointed a hard finger at him.

Neither of them said a word, but their stares and gestures were more than enough to have a conversation.

"You said MILF first!" Coco's eyes gave him an expectant look.

"You said it, too!" Was his silent reply.

"This is your fuck up. Not mine!" She pointed a hard finger at him.

"Bullshit! You stirred the pot as much as me!" He pointed back.

"But I didn't start it, you idiot! You're the man, you fix this!" She glared at him.

Their silent argument was disrupted when a woman's voice caught their attention. Turning their heads to the source of the voice, they spotted a woman with long black hair and a set of ears atop her head hurrying towards them.

"Cole!" She called out.

"Mom!" Cole shifted on top of Blackburn's shoulders.

He dropped down to let Cole hop off and watched him run to his mother. The boy hugged the woman tight like his life depended on it and the woman did the same to him. Tears were trailing down their faces, but their smiles were wide and happy.

The woman pulled back from Cole and pressed her lips hard to his forehead and brushed his hair out of his face.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she said to him.

The woman then turned her gaze to him and Coco. She took hold of Cole's hand and guided him back over towards them. The boy's face was bright with a wide smile as he beamed up at the two of them.

"Thank you so much for helping my son," said the mother.

"Don't worry about it." Blackburn shook his head.

"I'm serious. You two found him and took the time to help him find me. It's people like you that give me hope for equality between humans and Faunus."

He cleared his throat and could feel his face growing warm from the praise. Sure, they helped a lost kid find his mother, but it wasn't something to really gush over. It was just being a good citizen.

"Well, thanks. And you've got a good kid, too," said Coco as her eyes flicked down to Cole.

Cole shyly retreated behind his mother when Coco looked back at him, earning a smile from the brunette. The mother smiled back at Coco and steered Cole back out in front of her to keep him from hiding.

"What do you say to these nice people, Cole?" His mother looked down at him.

"Thank you!" Cole beamed up at them with the widest smile yet.

Blackburn grinned back and squatted to hold up his hand for a high five. Cole stepped forward and slapped it as hard as he could.

"Remember what we talked about, buddy. You need to be strong and be sure to take care of your mom," said Blackburn.

"I will!" Cole nodded back.

Blackburn stood up and nodded at Coco and she picked up the bags, handing one to him. They offered Cole and his mother a parting smile and made their way towards the exit again. As they walked off, Coco glanced to him.

"You handled that really well. Is that from experience?" She asked.

He nodded back. Although he kept quiet about one of the additional reasons he helped Cole, it was also because of his tours. He had to learn how to interact with people from Afghanistan and often times he and some of his fire team got caught up in small games with kids while doing patrols or meeting with village elders.

"Yeah, but I wanted to help him because I could relate to what happened," said Blackburn.

"Really? Did you get lost in a mall, too?" Coco smirked back.

"I did. Got separated from my mom when I went to look at some video games."

"Did you cry?"

He bit his lip and sighed. There was a big chance he was going to regret his response to the young woman.

"Yeah. Cried like a little bitch. Ended up asking a security guard to help me find my mom," said Blackburn.

"Oh my god, why would you tell me that?" Coco asked through her laughter.

"I can laugh at myself."

"I'm going to be busting your balls for a long time. You know that, right?"

"Oh, I know. So, how are your friends going to act when they know you played mom today?"

Coco's smirk soon vanished and was replaced with a thin line. It was no secret that she was a respected upperclassman and had a reputation to keep as the calm, spunky badass. If anyone heard that she dropped that persona to act mom-like for a little kid, it would serve as good teasing material.

"If you do that I'll push you straight into traffic." She glared at him.

He never got a chance to respond courtesy of a shrill voice from the mother that was on the other side of the food court.

"Where did you hear that word?" Cole's mother yelled.

Blackburn and Coco snuck a glance at the woman and then exchanged looks before hauling it down the hall as fast as they could.

* * *

Weiss and Winter were making their way back from the combat arena where they had finished practicing. For Winter, it was a somewhat slow process with helping Weiss. She had been trying to practice her summoning, but it needed a lot of work. She was able to keep focus enough to get a partial summon, but it was quick to fade with each attempt. It did not take her long to pinpoint the problem her younger sister was having.

Although she was focused, her emotions weren't calm. While it was true that emotions often served as a good trigger for the summoning, it was important to be able to do it with a calm mind. What she saw with each of Weiss' failed attempts was uncertainty and a lack of confidence which she made sure to bluntly point out. It was the way she knew after commanding soldiers and it seemed to click with Weiss. The words were curt and harsh, but it seemed to motivate her.

"Was it this difficult for you when you were learning?" Weiss asked.

"I had my struggles too, Weiss. It took me two years to master it, and that was on my own," said Winter.

"Right…"

Winter had driven herself into the ground and spent endless nights and days when she was preparing for Atlas Academy. Without the help of anyone to guide her, it gave her the extra push she needed to accomplish something that took one in their family years to perfect. Hard work and devotion paid off in the end, and it was something that Weiss was no stranger to.

"If you want my honest opinion, I believe you have the potential to master this faster than I did," said Winter.

Weiss perked up and a hopeful smile was on her face.

"Really?" She asked, excitement evident in her voice.

She smiled back with a nod.

"I do. The only one holding you back is yourself," said Winter. "Your determination knows no bounds and that will be the key to making it happen."

Weiss' face flushed a light pink at the compliment and she thanked her quietly.

They rounded the corner and continued their trek to the upper floors. The school was almost deserted with everyone out and about in the city to enjoy the weekend. Only a handful of students were seen in the courtyards or talking in the halls.

"Is there anything new with you?" Weiss broke the silence.

"Pardon me?" Winter looked back at her.

"Is there anything new with you? Personal wise, I mean?"

"Not really. I've been working a lot and training Blackburn in my spare time, so there's nothing new."

"Oh? And what about father's banquet? Did you ever resolve that issue?"

Winter slowed for a just a moment and mulled it over. She could talk to Weiss about anything, and that did fall under something new since she made sure to come up with a cover to avoid a suitor. She started walking again and gave a small nod.

"I did, yes," said Winter.

"And?" Weiss asked.

"Well, naturally he wasn't pleased with what I told him."

"Naturally."

She let out a small chuckle.

"So, did you find someone to pose as your date?" Weiss folded her arms behind her.

"No… not yet," said Winter.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but you should get a jump on that sooner than later."

"I know, I know. It's just…"

She trailed off and turned away in minor embarrassment.

"Just what?" Weiss prodded.

"I don't know who to take," said Winter. "I'm not insecure about my looks or being able to get someone to go. It's a matter of who."

Weiss bit her lip and nodded back, understanding the dilemma. That was the only thing that was holding her back from following through with her task. The few people she considered were either scattered across Remnant working jobs, or it would have been unprofessional with some of the men she served with. It would have to be another officer or someone around her age that she could tolerate. Problem was, there were only a handful of male officers outside of General Ironwood, but none of them could tolerate her personality. It was a hard pill to swallow, but she also knew that being General Ironwood's best soldier garnered some dislike as well.

"Well, why not Professor Blackburn?" Weiss suggested.

She snapped her gaze back to Weiss who looked a little sheepish when her eyes fell on her. Her face was twisted into one of disbelief.

"Excuse me?" Winter spoke up.

"You heard me," said Weiss as she regained her confidence.

"You think I should ask Connor to go with me?"

"I think you should."

Winter straightened up and felt her fists clench. It wasn't anger that was flowing through her, though. It was uncertainty.

"I can't do that," said Winter.

"Why not?" Weiss crossed her arms as she stopped walking. "You both get along well from what I can tell and he's your friend, isn't he?"

"That's beside the point!"

"Then what's the problem that I'm not seeing?"

Winter took a long breath and pinched the bridge of her nose to calm down.

"It feels unprofessional, Weiss. He is my friend, but I'm essentially his mentor since I'm training him," she answered.

"That sounds more like an excuse than anything, Winter," Weiss frowned. "I'm sure he will go with you if you ask him. Besides he's not in the Atlas Military, so he's fair game."

She shook her head again. Weiss presented her with a challenge and had her backed against the wall. Although she believed in her sister's words, she was having serious reservations about them. If she were to ask Blackburn to attend the banquet with her as her guest, what could come from it? What would change with their current relationship?

They had grown closer since she first met him that night at the White Fang compound that they ambushed. It was almost hard to believe how far they had come together. Not just from a mission sense after being paired together by Ozpin and Ironwood, but the level of trust and friendship between them. It started as one of little respect and strong dislike, but it grew with each moment they spent together.

They both adjusted and adapted to one another and helped each other develop where the other fell short. She had only a handful of close friends in her life, and she was happy to add Blackburn to that list shortly after he kept his word to her and protected Weiss on the last mission.

"And you don't find it odd for a woman to ask a man to a formal gathering?" Winter asked.

Weiss merely shook her head and smiled.

"Not at all! Back when we had our dance here, I even asked a boy that I've been interested in to go with me," said Weiss.

Winter blinked in mild surprise. Her little sister and her were similar, yet very different in certain regards. In this case, she was bolder in terms of relationships. Something she found commendable at the end of the day.

"And how did that go?" Winter asked curiously.

Weiss' face blanched and a grimace spread across her lips, giving her answer.

"He turned me down. Later I found out the reason why was because he couldn't dance," said Weiss.

"That isn't very assuring," said Winter.

"My point is that I tried. Looking back at it and knowing what I know now, I would have done things differently."

"Which would be?"

Weiss was silent for a moment before she sighed and smiled lightly.

"I would have gone with the first boy who asked me," said Weiss. "I couldn't stand him at first since he tried asking me out constantly after a misunderstanding, but he was the one who got the boy I wanted to dance with to meet up with me at the dance later."

Winter blinked and a teasing smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Oh? So you do have someone you like?" She asked.

Weiss' face flushed and she sent her a sharp glare.

"Of course I have someone I like, but I didn't say it was him," Weiss held up a finger. "Second, we're talking about you here. Not me."

Winter frowned in return and they started their walk again.

"All I'm saying is that your friends will do anything for you if you ask. I would do it for mine, and they would do the same for me. If you ask Professor Blackburn to go with you to the banquet, he'd do it because you're his friend. I mean, it's not like you're asking him to be your boyfriend or anything," Weiss continued.

Winter nodded in agreement, all the while trying to ignore the burning sensation that returned to the back of her neck.

"I suppose you are right," she said with a small sigh. "I just don't want it to be awkward and make it weird for us."

"Then I guess that's something you both will have to figure out," Weiss said with a small shrug.

Winter smiled at Weiss and had to give her credit. While younger with tons of things to experience yet in her life, she had the capability to bring out incredible and simple wisdom. Something she never really noticed until recently.

She watched Weiss pull out her scroll to look at a message that came. Her curiosity rose when her sister grimaced at what she read.

"Is something wrong?" Winter asked.

"Not yet," Weiss answered back.

"Not yet? What do you mean?"

"You remember my teammate Blake, right?"

Winter vaguely remembered the girl from Weiss' team. The girl had been very quiet compared to her sister's other teammates. Not speaking unless spoken to and having her eyes fixed on a book. What she really knew about the girl was that Blackburn was not happy with her because of what took place on the mission.

"I do," she said as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Well, she's been acting difficult since the mission to put it simply," said Weiss.

"How so?"

Weiss paused for a moment and the small shift in her brow suggested she was trying to find the right words to say. Something like a lie.

"I believe it has to do with what Professor Blackburn did on the mission," she began before turning her eyes back to her. "Do you remember what I told you about him killing that Faunus to save me?"

"Of course I remember," Winter said back.

"Well, all of us saw him do it. I think Blake's shaken over the whole thing and now she wants to talk with him."

"I see."

Weiss looked uncomfortable about the potential talk to take place with the young professor, and with good reason. She remembered the last talk she had with her sister about Blackburn and it revolved around the end of their mission. The belief that his killing of the Faunus being similar to a cold blooded execution was because of a repressed memory. She never followed up with Blackburn about the memory since he had been in a coma and their last conversation got off topic.

"When did she plan to talk with him?" Winter asked.

"Right now. Ruby said he just got back from Vale and is in his office," said Weiss.

"I'll walk you there. I want to hear this for myself."

Weiss bit her lip, but ultimately nodded in agreement.

* * *

Their walk was faster this time as they changed course to make their way to Blackburn's office. It did not take them long to reach it. His door was ajar and they could hear voices coming from inside.

They reached the doorway and found Blackburn sitting at his desk with a fresh bottle of beer while Ruby, Yang and Blake were sitting in some chairs that they pulled up.

"There you are!" Yang held her arms out wide. "We've been waiting for you, Ice Queen!"

"Hey!" Both Winter and Weiss retorted.

Blackburn raised a pair of fingers to greet them as he swallowed whatever beer was in his mouth.

"You guys come to join us?" He asked.

"More or less," Winter replied casually.

"Come on in."

Winter waited for Weiss to enter the room before shutting the door behind her. She lowered her fingers and gently scratched Zwei behind his ears when he scampered up to greet her.

"You want a beer?" Blackburn asked.

Winter looked between him and her sister who looked very intrigued with whatever she would say. She wanted to remain a professional in her sister's eyes, but she didn't want to turn down Blackburn's offer.

"Sure." She clapped her hands to signal for a catch.

He opened his fridge and returned with an ice cold bottle. The bottle sailed through the air and she caught it with her outstretched hand and twisted the top off.

"Cheers." Blackburn raised his bottle to her.

She sipped her beer and welcomed the icy beverage as it graced her tongue. It was something that she and Blackburn did frequently whenever she visited his office. A quick beer and a small chat about whatever came to their heads.

"Hey, what about us?" Yang held up her hand expectantly.

"You eighteen?" Blackburn leaned back in his chair.

"Not yet."

"Are you a student of mine?"

"Yeah, but what's that got to do with…"

"Then the answer is no. You're not old enough and I don't want to get fired."

"Party pooper."

Winter smiled into the tip of her bottle as she leaned against the wall near his desk, opting to stand and listen to the conversation. Her eyes flicked over to Blake and she silently observed her. Looking at her posture tipped her off that the girl had a lot to say. Her hands were balled into fists as they gripped the hem of her shirt and her gaze was piercing.

The air around the girl was hostile, but only she, Weiss and Blackburn seemed to pick up on it. This was about to get ugly, but Winter would be lying if she said she was not curious about how it would play out. How would Blackburn react and carry himself in this type of situation?

"So what's going on with your four?" Blackburn broke the ice as he looked at them.

"Not much," said Yang with a wave of her hand. "Been kind of bored lately."

"Sucks to be you."

Yang gave a lighthearted grunt and propped her foot to rest on her knee as she got more comfortable in her chair.

"What about you? How have you been feeling since you got out of the hospital?" Ruby asked.

"Can't complain. Got out of there the second I was cleared," Blackburn replied.

"I don't blame you. I'd go crazy if I got stuck in there, too."

The man acknowledged her with a raise of his bottle and drank to her words. His gaze then fell upon Blake. It did not hold any trace of defensiveness as she continued to eye him. In fact, it looked very calm.

"What about you, Blake? Something on your mind?" Blackburn asked her.

All eyes in the room immediately shifted to the girl in question. Her eyes narrowed just a little bit when he called her out.

"I want to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me," said Blake.

"Go ahead," he answered back.

"Why did you kill that boy back on the mission?"

Straight to the point. All the air in the room seemed to be sucked out along with the high spirits of Ruby and Yang who became very quiet. All of the girls looked at Blake with mixed expressions, but she did not falter. She wanted answers and would not let up until she got them.

"Is that a trick question?" Blackburn rose a brow.

"Don't play this game with me. We all saw what you did that night," said Blake.

Blackburn took another drink from his beer and leveled Blake with an even stare.

"I'm a soldier. I was trained to kill my enemies to ensure mission success, so that's what I did," he said calmly.

It was faint, but Winter could hear the edge in his tone. His eyes were bearing into Blake and seemed to grow sharper.

"Even when they're incapable of defending themselves after being harmed?" Blake challenged.

"Yeah, even then," said Blackburn. "You don't have time to think in those situations, Blake. You don't know what that enemy is going to do once he's incapacitated. He can still have fight in him and try to lower your guard to strike or he could be willing to surrender."

"So when he was bleeding out on the ground he was still a threat?"

"Yes."

"He was unarmed!"

"His gun was still by him and could be grabbed. Shock makes it difficult to function."

Back and forth the conversation went. It was getting more intense by the second and the discomfort was growing more apparent. Weiss had her hands folded and was staring down at her lap. Ruby was squirming lightly in her seat and Yang was looking back at Blake with a small frown.

"When you assault through an objective you eliminate the threat and that's what I did," said Blackburn. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're even acting like this. Out of everyone on your team, I figured you'd be the one who'd understand this the most, but I guess I was wrong."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blake glared back.

"You know full well what I'm talking about. Remember our talk back at that noodle shop?"

Blake's lips curled into a small scowl and her eyes glared at him warningly.

"If you're about to say that I'm like you…" She began.

"I wasn't going to, but you know exactly what I'm getting at," Blackburn's voice rose a little bit.

A sharp breath escaped Blake and her hands gripped the arms of the chair so tight her knuckles were white with stress.

"I don't murder people in cold blood!" Blake retorted.

"There's a fine line between murder and self-defense." Blackburn's eyes narrowed. "I was doing my job keeping you all safe from harm. If I didn't do what I did, Weiss wouldn't be here right now."

Weiss flinched lightly at his words and seemed to retreat deeper into her chair when he said that.

"Yeah, she was safe the second you had that kid on the ground! That didn't mean you had to go up and shoot him in the head afterword!" She snapped back.

"Did you see how many times I shot him? He was dying slowly, so I gave him a mercy killing. Would you rather I let him suffer and bleed out for those two minutes he had left?"

"You can try and defend that stance of yours all you want, but that was not necessary! He could have been given medical attention by the QRF when they came!"

Blackburn took another gulp from his beer and set it back on his desk. His fingers lightly tapped against the bottle as he continued his stare down with Blake. Neither of them were budging on their stances and that only prodded them to continue.

"Would you be this bent out of shape if it was an adult in that kid's place?" Blackburn asked.

"Yes, I would! It's still murder! Self-defense ends the moment the threat is gone, and that boy was not a threat after you did that to him!" Blake snapped back.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Blake? You're a big girl, so use your words."

Blake growled under her breath and jumped to her feet. Her eyes were alight with newfound anger as she leaned forward and rested her hands on the front of his desk.

"I'm saying that no matter how hard you try to justify your actions, unnecessary violence is all you soldiers know at the end of the day! You say you're peacekeepers, but you showed me that you're no different from terrorists!" She yelled.

By this point Winter was ready to intervene and calm the situation, but she stopped. The look in Blackburn's eyes shifted and grew dark. Something that she had never seen before. It was one of fury that was begging to be unleashed. His calm demeanor was gone and replaced with rage. He glared up at the bow wearing girl and came unglued.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Blackburn pointed back at her chair.

His words came out loud and angry like the crack of a whip. The yell reverberated around the office and froze everyone to the spot. Blake even took a step back in surprise at his roar of anger. She looked unsure of what to do as she looked at him and then back to her seat. Her words had died in her throat and she retreated to her chair.

"I'm a killer, I won't deny that. But I will not sit here and allow you to call me a terrorist because of a decision I made at the end of the day that you didn't agree with!" He continued.

Silence flooded the room to the point that one could hear a pin drop.

"The fact of the matter is that I did what I did because it's my job to keep you all alive when we're out in the field. What we do out there determines whether or not we get to go home at the end of the day, and you can bet I will do everything to make that a reality. I killed that kid and I don't regret that decision one bit. If I didn't do that, Weiss would be dead and I would have to live with that failure again."

At this, Winter and Weiss glanced at each other and then to Blackburn. The younger Schnee was the one who suggested the possibility of a repressed memory in the first place, and from the sound of it, she was right.

"What do you mean again?" Ruby managed to find her voice.

Blackburn took another swing from his bottle and briefly glanced at Ruby before putting it back on Blake who had yet to say a word since his outburst.

"Back during my first deployment, my squad got caught in an ambush while doing a patrol through a village. We ended up taking out an MG nest that was fixed inside a house. We blew that house wide open and I was assigned to clear it with my friends Jason Harvick and Thomas McDermott. When we went to clear it we took fire again and Tom got hit in the throat," he said, all the while pointing to his Adam's apple.

Ruby only frowned and spared a sideways glance to her teammates who didn't look much better than she did.

"Jason and I lit that house up again after Tom went down and killed the guy that shot at us, but that wasn't the end of it. A kid was still inside of the house, probably the son of one of the guys we killed in that fight. He came out of the house with a rifle and came at us. That kid was angry with what we did and he meant to hurt us. I did what I was trained to do because if you killed kids without a justified cause, you got sent to a military prison for a long time."

Blake's face had softened somewhat from its furious state and she had taken a more reserved look. There was still fight in her eyes for the argument.

"How old was this boy?" Blake asked.

"Probably fifteen," said Blackburn. "Old enough to fight, but not enough to understand why."

"And what happened?"

He was silent for a second before speaking again.

"I tried doing what you accused me of not doing. I followed the escalation of force to try and get the kid to drop the gun and surrender because I didn't want to kill him."

"Did you kill him?" Blake quickly asked.

"No, I didn't. I kept trying to get him to surrender up to the point he shot me."

Blake swallowed lightly and her grip lessened on the arms of the chair. She tore her eyes away from Blackburn's in an attempt to recuperate and find her words again

"After that, I promised myself that I would never let that happen again." His hand gripped his bottle tightly.

Blake looked back up at him with a frown.

"You lost your composure. Aren't you supposed to keep that from happening?" She asked.

His eyes narrowed again at the girl.

"When I went through that back then it was pretty traumatic. Where I come from we don't have Aura to call upon and shield us. We got cheap body armor and helmets that can stop attacks to an extent. If I wasn't wearing my IBA that day, I would be dead," his voice was a little shaky.

His hand started to tremble as it held on to the bottle and it rattled lightly against the wood of his desk. He continued talking and his voice got louder

"And if I recall, Weiss and Ruby both had their Aura shattered when I found them. So when I saw history about to repeat itself, I lost my shit! What the fuck would you have done, huh!?"

Blake flinched again at his words. This time she had guilt etched on her face as she looked back at him. She only shook her head silently to answer him. He continued to eye her as he finished the rest of his beer.

"Next time you want to accuse someone, do yourself a favor and keep your mouth shut. The fact is soldiers and terrorists both kill, but both of them are motivated by different goals. One is a radical and one is a peacekeeper and both sides can be seen as justified because of the grey area they fall under. No matter what side you are on that spectrum, the views are subjective to the witnesses of both parties."

Silence filled the office again and it was uncomfortable. The atmosphere was heavy and offered no chance of shifting to something pleasant. Words were spoken between teacher and student and tempers were tested. Now that everything was out on the table, it was time to mull everything over and give each other space.

Blake got up from her chair and made her way to the door, not saying a single word. She opened it and disappeared from sight a moment later leaving her teammates behind.

"I'm going to go check on her," said Yang as she got up and took after her partner.

Seconds continued to tick by and Blackburn finally broke the silence again.

"I'm sorry," he said as he looked to Winter, Weiss and Ruby. "I didn't mean to go off like I did, I just… sorry."

Ruby offered a small smile and Weiss only shook her head.

"Don't be sorry. I think Blake needed to hear that," said Weiss.

"Yeah, just give her some time to think. I'm sure she'll come to talk to you again about today," Ruby offered her own input.

Blackburn only nodded back and reached for his fridge to pull out another beer. A hiss sounded as he twisted the top off and took another drink.

"We should go find Blake and Yang," Weiss said to Ruby.

Ruby nodded and got out of her chair with a long stretch. She followed Weiss to the door, paused and turned around to wave goodbye to Blackburn. The two of them vanished a moment later, leaving Winter alone with him.

She had come there earlier to ask him about the banquet, but that was the last thing he needed to be asked given his current mood. He needed some time to calm down before being hit with another question and she intended to let him be. She walked over to his desk and dropped the empty bottle in the garbage bin beside it.

"Do you want to talk?" She folded her arms with a small frown.

He shook his head.

"No thanks. I just want to be alone for a bit," he answered as he looked back at her.

"Okay. If you change your mind, you can call me to talk any time," she said.

After he offered to lend an ear to her long ago, she returned the favor. She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning on her heel and making for the door. Her hand rested on the knob and she was about to close it behind her, but he spoke up again.

"Thanks, Winter." He looked back at her.

"Any time, Connor." She smiled back warmly.

The door closed behind her softly and she started back for the landing zone. Her heels clicked against the floor and her eyes trailed out to the setting sun and she shook her head with a sigh. This was the last thing she expected to be doing on her day off.

"What a day," she muttered.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, folks. It was kind of difficult to write because of Blackburn and Blake's conversation. They will have a follow up later, but the tricky part of this was to show both sides of the argument. Bottom line, Blake came off hypocritical, and Blackburn came off as an unreliable narrator since his views are based off his experiences, but I did what I could to make it relatable to both of them.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next update will be 12/22/17, and I plan to update again on the 30th because of the story's two year anniversary. Plus, it'd be a good way to polish off the year for this story and as thanks for your support.**

 **2.) I decided to set up a poll for potential romance for Blackburn in the story that you can vote on. It by no means confirms a pairing. It is just out of curiosity to see whether or not readers feel the choices had any potential at all. You'll find it on my profile page.**

 **3.) If you like this story, check out my new one "Butterfly Effect". It's an SI/OC story for RWBY.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **MG: Machine Gun**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Infinity Unit 13: Thank a bunch for the review, man. Sorry that the whole backstory with Alison hit close to home for you, but I'm glad I was able to evoke emotion out of you because of it. Hopefully that doesn't make me sound like too big of an asshole.**

 **Hellwyrm: We discussed the contents over your review in the PM, but thanks a bunch for the review and the support of the story. I'm still on the fence about the romance, but we'll see with that.**

 **Cyrus Snow: The story never died, bro. She's still alive and kicking.**

 **PyromaniacRabbit: Thanks for the review. Now, soldiers typically get up at 5 in the morning, so getting to sleep in until 7 is considered sleeping in and not something a soldier will complain about if given the opportunity.**

 **Goldspark1: Thanks for the continued reviews as always. Although, I'm not sure where you're getting the whole idea about Winter's outfit "hides nothing to the imagination". Her outfit is actually one of the most conservative in the show compared to some of the other girls like Pyrrha, Blake or Yang. I'm glad that I managed to get Coco's interactions with Blackburn written to the point you think that. That' s a good sign on my end.**

 **wpago: Been a while since I've seen something from you, man. I listened to the song, but I'm not sure if it's something I'll bring in because given Blackburn's music taste, it doesn't suit him and wouldn't be found on the abyss of songs on his scroll.**

 **redx1221: Thanks for the review, I appreciate it! I'm happy to see so many people thought Coco and Blackburn's interaction was great. Now Winter only thinks that because she's confident about her looks and has reflected on it a couple of times in the story.**


	29. SSDD

**Here just in time before the holidays with the update like I promised. May be a day late, so please excuse the delay. Had to drive to my parents' place and helped Mom make some appetizers. Thanks a bunch for the continued support, everybody! Anyway, Merry Christmas, enjoy the chapter and a bonus omake at the end.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter twirled her blade in her hand and adjusted her grip on the smaller dagger in her left. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Blackburn's form after he regrouped from her pushback. He had been coming along nicely. His movements were more fluid and graceful compared to before when they were imbalanced and sluggish. If there was anything that really stood out to her assessment of her subordinate, it was his footwork.

From the beginning, Blackburn's footwork had given him trouble. She was certain that it had to deal with the fact he was using a sword compared to a combat knife which matched his footwork. Close together and slow movement for a dodge or counterattack. Now his feet were wider when he fought to help him deliver the perfect swing.

Blackburn's breath was coming out in short gasps and his face was red and glistening with sweat. He was giving it his all to meet her instructions and seeing it for herself made her swell with pride. It was one thing to train a platoon of men and urge them to exceed the standards she had set, but seeing it on an individual level was the real treat. That was where she could tell the soldiers that worked with her respected her. When they did everything they could to make her goals a reality.

Her breath steadied and a small shiver went down her back as cool air graced her sweat filled shirt. She twirled her blade again and shot forth to engage with Blackburn once more. His blade met hers with a loud clang that reverberated around the empty room. Metal ground and screeched as the edges of their blades slid against one another. He forced her off balance with a hard push and lunged forward with thrust that she easily parried with her dagger to send him away.

As a little extra taunt, she raised her foot and gave him a firm kick to the butt. When he wheeled around to glare at her in annoyance, she merely returned it with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"You're makin' fun of me, aren't you?" He gripped his blade again.

"No. Whatever gave you that idea?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

A low growl escaped the frustrated man and he jumped at her with a powerful overhead swing. It almost caught her by surprise, but it was nothing her reflexes couldn't handle. Her arms trembled when she raised both of her blades and intercepted the strike, giving her the chance to kick at his groin. It was a dirty move on her end, but it would hopefully instill the lesson to her pupil to not get flustered and attack without thought. Just as her foot left the ground, Blackburn raised his leg to block her kick.

"Nicely done," she said as she spun around him.

"Thanks." He grunted back.

He spun on his heel swiftly with his blade on a path straight for her face. It had become a staple move of his, but predictable. He got lucky by being too close for her to counter and instead forced her to create distance. With a push of her feet she sprung into the air and the ceiling, wall and floor met her eyes. She landed on her knee and quickly got to her feet with her blade pointing back at Blackburn.

"Predictable," she spoke up.

"Still got you to… oh!" Blackburn began to retort, but quickly stopped.

She blinked when she saw him drop his guard and turn his head away. Her brow furrowed at the sudden change of demeanor and she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"We're not done yet. Get back in your stance and prepare yourself!" She called out to him.

"No, I know that! It's just…" He responded back, still not looking at her.

What was wrong with him? She sighed and started to walk towards him to force him back into the spar.

"Don't make me reach you, Blackburn! If your weapon isn't ready when I get to you, I'll put you through one of the warm ups!" She was getting closer.

"Before I do, can I ask you something?" Blackburn asked.

She rolled her eyes.

"What can be so important that you stopped the fight to ask a question?" She retorted.

The response she got was a small gesture back towards her.

"Does it feel a little breezy in here?" He asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She rose a brow.

She stopped her trek and mulled over the man's words. This was not a cheap distraction by any means since he was too honorable for that. Instead, she looked at his body language. His head was still turned away from her and his body was rigid, as if embarrassed or nervous. Upon closer inspection she could see his face was redder than earlier.

Another shiver went down her spine, but this time she felt it run down her legs as well. Her head perked up at the new breeze that welcomed her and looked down. In that instant, all the blood rushed up her neck and to her face. Her eyes fell upon a large tear at the waistline of her pants that had stretched down the entirety of her right leg and it was barely holding on by a thread. One tear was all that it would take for her pants to be on the ground.

She quickly dropped her blades and went to cover up her leg and could feel a new layer of sweat form on her brow from the sheer embarrassment.

"You want to call it a day?" Blackburn asked as he snuck a glance at her.

"Obviously!" She snapped back, still red in the face.

Blackburn held up his hands to calm her down and shifted Mustang back to its rifle form before resting it on the ground.

"Do you have a change of pants?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head.

This was unfortunate. Not only did her pants get ripped to shreds, she had no way of getting back to her room without being out of uniform and endearing halls of laughter. She bit her lip and could feel fear bubbling in the pit of her stomach. There were limited options she could take and none of them were good. The first was to have someone run to her room and bring her back a pair of pants, and the second was to make a break for it. Either way, it ended with embarrassment.

She sent another tentative gaze back at Blackburn and her eyes widened in surprise and her face burned again.

"What are you doing?" She squawked.

"What does it look like?" He challenged as he held out his pants for her.

In the middle of her silent humiliation and dread, Blackburn had taken off his pants and folded them up to offer her. He was now reduced to his boxers and sweat soaked t-shirt. It was a gallant gesture, but it would not make their situation any better. At the end of the day, one of them would be walking down the halls minus a pair of pants.

"Put your pants back on!" She hissed.

"You got a better idea? Because the way I see it, it won't be fun to explain if someone catches you half-naked," he said back.

"We'll just be trading places, you idiot!"

"Better me than you!"

She glared back at him from the corner of her eye and he met her with his own stare right back. He had dismissed the modesty he had given her and was now forcing her to make a decision. Her palms were sweaty as she tried to hold her pants together.

"Look, just put my pants on and trash those ones. When we walk out of here and anyone asks us why I'm in my underwear, we can call it a punishment of corrective action," said Blackburn.

"That sounds more like hazing to me," said Winter. "Don't you have any self-respect?"

He offered a halfhearted shrug in return.

"Not really, no," he answered her.

It was enough to make a giggle escape her lips. She eyed his pants again and then let out a sigh. She reached out with her left hand and grabbed them. They would be a little big around the waist, but she would be able to tighten them with her belt.

"Turn around please," she requested softly. "If you even try to sneak a peek, I will end you."

"Yes, ma'am." Blackburn turned on his heel and focused on the door.

Winter was fast with her movements when she pulled off her boots and pants. The air conditioning welcomed her long legs and she sucked in a breath as goosebumps formed on her. She let Blackburn's pants unroll and pulled them on and fastened the buttons. Her fingertips pinched her belt and tugged it out of the remains of her torn pants and she looped it around her new pair. Despite the fact the pants were big for her, they were comfortable and offered her legs some room.

"I'm done." She folded up her torn pants.

"Good deal. Now let's get to the landing zone," said Blackburn.

She nodded after picking up her blade and fastening it to her hip. They departed the training room and began their march back to landing zone.

Each soldier that they passed gave the expected reaction she pictured in her head. All of them ended up doing a double take at her and Blackburn and they were followed by a wave of laughter around each and every corner towards the deck.

From the corner of her eye, Winter could see Blackburn grinning widely as if unfazed by laughter. Had it been her in this position she would have died from embarrassment and would have a lot of explaining to do with the sudden drop of professionalism. She bit her lip and silently thanked Blackburn for the save. Their eyes met again and she could feel the warmth return to her cheeks and offered him a small glare.

"Be honest with me. Did you peek before we left?" She whispered.

"No, I didn't," he said with a shake of his head.

She didn't buy it. There was no twitch of the lips or shift of the eyes when he gave his answers. Something that someone would have done if they were lying. He was telling the truth about that, but with how quick he was to allow her to retain her modesty suggested otherwise.

"How much did you see?" She whispered again.

"Enough to know that you look good in blue lace," he whispered back.

She could the muscles in her neck flex with anger and humiliation. Her face burned brightly and she bit back a retort. The fact he could simply say that answer without hesitation was enough to tempt her to smack him then and there. She could see a small curve at the corner of his mouth and cursed that trademark smirk. He had the gall to mock her playfully, but he was at least being quiet about it. If it were Qrow in his place, he would be boasting as loud as he could to demean her as much as possible.

Blackburn may have acted cocky and had a sharp tongue similar to the drunk she was familiar with, but he could at least rein it in. It was enough to calm her down and, strangely, made her feel more relaxed after he had seen her in that state.

"So what's the word about future operations?" Blackburn asked to shift the subject.

It was still impressive that he could talk casually without his pants on and continue to ignore the laughter and pointing of each soldier they went by.

"We have hit a snag. Shadow told us that if we want to find further information we need to find a man named Hei Xiong. He runs a popular club here in Vale," said Winter as they rounded a corner.

Blackburn scratched the side of his beard after mulling over her response.

"Well, you got the guy's name. What's stopping you?" He asked.

"We want confirmation from Roman. Shadow also told us that Roman has done work with him in the past, but I want validation before we move," she said.

Blackburn shook his head. She had spent enough time with him to read him like a book. He did not agree with her plan and she could only tell him to deal with it. If it were him in her position he would have gone searching for Hei Xiong right off the bat to find the answer for himself.

"Why do you need Roman to confirm that?" He asked.

"Think of it as extra insurance," said Winter. "Atlas was stationed here because of The Breach and we're in charge of security operations. The last thing we need is to receive bad public opinion on a misunderstanding."

It had been the same answer she had given him back before they caught Shadow. The Vale News Network and the population had a field day about the whole ordeal and it did not sit well with Ironwood or Ozpin. Reckless behavior was not what they needed right now.

"If you can get confirmation from someone else about Roman's collusion with Hei Xiong, I will be willing to go in. Until you do, don't do anything foolish," said Winter.

She watched him roll his eyes and nod begrudgingly.

"Fine, but we need to get the jump on this fast. I bet I can find someone who knows the answer to that before the day is done," said Blackburn.

Winter eyed him and offered a sly smirk in return.

"Can you?" She asked.

"Can and will, LT. Have I ever let you down yet?" He replied.

She gave him a flat look and he smiled sheepishly. He technically had not let her down, but he came close when he took the gamble to capture Shadow. Clearly he knew what she was getting at with the stare she gave him.

"And what if you don't have an answer for me by the day's end?" She challenged.

"Name your price," he answered smoothly.

Her mind wandered back to the conversation she had with Weiss the other day. She still needed a date to take to her father's banquet and this was the perfect opportunity to lure him in. She would not have to worry about making anything awkward between them by asking him directly and could instead play the game of it as being a friendly bet. It was something that eased her fear enough to go through with the plan.

"I can think of something. I want an answer by seventeen-hundred and not a minute more. If I don't have anything from you by then, you go through with my demand," said Winter.

She held up her hand to seal the deal and waited patiently.

"Too easy," said Blackburn as he shook her hand firmly.

Even if Blackburn somehow managed to make good on his promise, Winter decided in that moment to ask him regardless of the outcome.

Blackburn suddenly peered around her and in curiosity, she took a look as well. She could feel the color drain from her face as General Ironwood made his way down the hall looking down at a handful of letters he received. There was no time to change course and she quickly looked front as he got within range.

She watched Ironwood's eyes glance up at her and he greeted her with a smile and a curt nod.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Schnee. Mister Blackburn," he said.

Not missing a beat, both of them continued their march the second he went by and offered him a passing greeting as well.

"Good morning, sir!"

Winter listened with strained ears and felt her heart stop when Ironwood's footsteps halted in their tracks. Her eyes screwed shut and she bit her lip when she heard the words of her commanding officer. They were faint, but she knew it was in regards to what he managed to catch a glimpse of.

"Wait a minute. What in the hell…" He muttered.

She could almost see the man's perplexed look as he turned around to look back at them.

"Lieutenant Schnee, Mister Blackburn, about face. Now," said Ironwood.

Both of them did as the general asked and turned to face him. They stood at attention and could only await the man's words as he slowly walked up to them.

Winter watched Ironwood's eyes narrow as he looked between them. He finally came to a stop a foot away, just enough to tower over them and for his calculating eyes to look down on them. It was a presence of authority that commanded respect. For a fleeting moment, Winter found herself back at Atlas Academy and at the mercy of the sharp words that came from the cadre.

"Lieutenant Schnee, you're an officer, correct?" Ironwood asked.

"Yes, sir!" She answered back without hesitation.

"You know better than anyone that we're supposed to set the standards and carry ourselves with discipline and integrity."

"Yes sir, I do."

Her throat felt dry and her humiliation that had faded was now coming back in full swing.

"Then do you mind telling me why you are out of regulation with your uniform and why Mister Blackburn is walking around without his pants?" Ironwood continued.

She did not tear her eyes away from Ironwood as he patiently awaited her answer. Just to her right she could sense Blackburn in a similar state, but could almost feel as if he was doing everything in his power to not snort or burst into laughter. Whether it was her being at the receiving end of Ironwood's questions or the question itself was another story. Regardless, she did everything she could to salvage this mortifying situation.

Her mind quickly trailed back to Blackburn's cover story he suggested back in the training hall. Even though she knew it was a longshot, she did not have a better idea to go with.

"It's corrective action, sir! Blackburn got too cocky after I warned him during our session and told him that if he lost because of it, he would need a lesson in humility," said Winter.

She was not one for lying since she could not lie to save her life, but she hoped that it was enough to convince her commander of the story.

"Corrective action should not include public humiliation, Lieutenant Schnee. This would fall under harassment and hazing," said Ironwood.

She nodded firmly.

"Understood, sir! I only followed through with my threat because he did not listen the first time I warned him," she offered back.

Ironwood's eyes continued to bear into her before they finally shifted over to Blackburn. For now the attention was off of her to allow her to take a second to breathe and calm down. The veteran was now going to confirm her story with Blackburn to see if she was lying.

"Is this true?" Ironwood asked.

"It is, sir! I accepted the corrective action willingly and will be cognizant of my behavior and be more humble in the future," said Blackburn as if he rehearsed the line ahead of time.

Ironwood continued to look down at him with his powerful eyes before he straightened up and adjusted his tie.

"I see. Well, I'm heartened by the knowledge that this is merely a result of you acting like a jackass at the end of the day," said Ironwood.

"Thank you, sir!" Blackburn answered back.

Winter had to force back a laugh that rose in her chest and managed to turn it into a small cough. Her lips returned to a thin line as Ironwood turned his gaze back on her.

"Fix your uniform and report for duty once you've cleaned up, Lieutenant. While your punishment is creative, don't do something like this again. Do you understand me?" Ironwood instructed.

"Yes, sir!" She saluted.

"All right. Carry on," Ironwood dismissed them as he turned on his heel.

Winter waited until Ironwood disappeared around the corner before turning around with Blackburn and continuing their trek to the landing zone. Their silence was not awkward by any means, but one of mutual understanding and professionalism. The moment they rounded the corner, a snort escaped her lips and she covered her mouth to muffle her laughter with Blackburn doing the same.

A minute ago she was dreading the punishment that Ironwood would have dealt her for her lie, but now she could not help but laugh. She did not expect it to go the way it did and the fact that Blackburn played along with her lie made it funnier. Her older self would have found her current behavior childish, but now she could care less about that. She avoided punishment and now had a funny story to reflect upon. Somewhere deep down she longed to have a story like that to share with close friends after hearing dozens of them from fellow soldiers.

She was envious of soldiers that had those because they always brought life to the room with their storytelling and energy. Something she only know how to do through cliché motivation. She only had a handful of stories that were like that, but having more for her arsenal was always a bonus.

"I'm going to assume you've been in situations like that before?" Winter asked through her laughter.

"Oh yeah," said Blackburn with a nod. "Learned how to be a first class bullshitter because of it."

"Do tell."

"You know how hard it is to keep a straight face during Basic when your Drill Sergeant has a speech impediment and he's screaming like a lunatic at you?"

Her shoulders shook again as another giggle bubbled in her chest.

"How bad was it?" She asked.

"His name was Drill Sergeant Rodgers. The guy sounded like Elmer Fudd because his R's came out like W's. I didn't get it out of my system until week six. I think he would seek me out intentionally just to screw with me," said Blackburn with a grin.

"Did you provoke him into doing it?"

"Like I said, it's hard not to laugh. Can you look a pissed off guy in the face without laughing as he says "dwop!" instead of "drop?"

Winter laughed again and only shook her head. Just picturing Blackburn in that scenario was enough to make the smile on her face grow. She imagined his cheeks perking up and a snort that would become full blown laughter that led to an instant smoke session, and he would just continue to laugh away.

"No. I suppose I couldn't." She shook her head.

They were welcomed with the brisk wind as they stepped onto the landing zone. There was a Bullhead just ahead of them that was waiting to take Blackburn back to Beacon.

She walked with him up to the aircraft and folded her arms as the doors opened for him to step on. Before he got on, she stopped him.

"Thanks for helping me with… well, you know," she said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, it's cool." He shook his head. "You look out for your battle buddies. Nobody likes a blue falcon."

She blinked at the new term and tilted her head curiously.

"Blue falcon?" She repeated.

She never heard the term before, but deep down she felt like she knew what the meaning behind it was.

"Blue falcons are those assholes that screw you over when you need help. Also known as the buddy fucker," said Blackburn matter-of-factly.

Ah, that was why it sounded familiar. She was in agreement with the man before her. She had come across her fair share of soldiers like that, and it rubbed her the wrong way whenever she got stuck with one. It could have been something as simple as a mission or someone in the chain of command, but they were out there lurking and destined to make someone's day a nightmare.

"Anyway, you can hold onto those until our next session," he pointed at his pants.

"I plan to. Thank you, again." Winter smiled back.

Blackburn climbed onto the Bullhead and gave her a two fingered wave goodbye as the door closed behind him.

* * *

The day had gone by slow for Blackburn. Hours crept by slowly and he went about his routine as usual. Get back from training with Winter, clean up, eat breakfast, report to class to help Glynda. It had been busy, but it was going by slow. Something he was having mixed feelings about. On any given day he would be thrilled the day was going by quick so he could get on with his evening free time, but today he was cursing it. Deep down he was sure it had to do with the bet he made with Winter.

His words had truth to them and he knew Winter knew that, but unless he could prove that Roman was affiliated with Hei Xiong, there would be no move to talk with him. He still had time to make good on his bet, but it was growing shorter by the second.

He leaned back in his seat and let out an exasperated sigh as his eyes looked up at the ceiling. This was not his day. He was sure he could find someone that could offer some insight about Roman, but everything came up empty.

"Something on your mind, stud?" Coco's voice got his attention.

He brought his head back down and spotted the brunette leaning in his doorway with a teasing smirk.

"Hey," he greeted with a grin.

Coco walked into the room and sat on the edge of his desk.

"Winter's getting ready to make a move on another mission, but she wants some extra insurance," said Blackburn.

"Oh yeah? What's the mission?" Coco cocked a brow.

"You remember Shadow, right?"

Coco nodded back and her eyes lit up with interest behind her shades.

"Well, we're trying to get more leads on the White Fang along with Queen and Lotus," said Blackburn as he got up from his chair and made for the door.

He closed the door to keep any unwanted ears from listening in on their conversation and returned to his seat and propped his feet up on his desk.

"Shadow has been feeding us a lot of intel after some persuasion and is the reason behind our last mission. Supposedly he gave Winter the name of a guy who deals with a lot of underground criminals," he continued.

Coco hummed under her breath and cupped her chin in thought as she pondered his words.

"What's this guy's name?" Her eyes flicked back to him.

"Hei Xiong. He runs a club somewhere in Vale. You know him?" Blackburn looked at her.

The brunette pursed her lips in a frown and shook her head. Seeing this, Blackburn sucked his teeth and reached for his fridge. The door opened wide and he reached inside and pulled out a beer. He twisted the top off and took a swig from the cold beverage.

"Giving up just like that?" Coco laid on his desk, not once taking her eyes off him

"No." He shook his head. "Just running out of people who might know the guy."

Coco raised her hand and gave a hard poke to his leg.

"Look, I might not know this guy, but I think I know somebody who does," she said.

He took another drink from his bottle and gave her a teasing grin.

"Then by all means, please enlighten me, Gossip Girl! For I am a mere peon drowning in a sea of wrong as you go by in your ship of right!" He held his arms wide open as if seeking salvation.

Coco looked at him for a moment and raised her hand. With a flick of her wrist her knuckles struck the side of his calve. It was a playful move, but the backslap itself carried a lot of power and stood as a testament of how much raw strength the brunette had. He was glad he was able to hide the pained grimace behind the top of his bottle. The sharp throb in his leg gave him an idea of how much it would swell up later.

"Asshole," she muttered with a smirk of her own.

She sat up and crossed her legs as she turned to look at him.

"Like I was saying, I think I know someone who does. You know her, too," she said.

Blackburn brought his bottle down and swallowed the beer in his mouth.

"Her?" He repeated.

"Yeah, her. You know, freshman student. Kinda tall, great personality, competitive," Coco said as she listed each trait.

The student being a freshman was the only useful bit so far since he was sure Coco was now just taunting him.

"Long hair, a little flirty. But the big giveaway is her rack. Her tits are about the size of our heads," Coco finished as she traced a circle around her face.

Blackburn choked on the mouthful of beer he had and sputtered at the last comment. He immediately knew who she was talking about and grimaced. Given how his conversation with her teammate went, he wasn't sure how she would deal with him if he went to ask her.

"Yang?" He asked.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the man a prize," said Coco with a clap of her hands.

He took another long drink from his bottle and pinched the bridge of his nose. At least he now had a lead.

"Do you know where she is now?" He asked.

Coco nodded and scooted off of his desk to stretch. She let out a low grunt as he shoulders and back popped lightly.

"In the gym. She likes practicing on the punching bags," said Coco as she made her way to the door. "She's got a hell of a right hook."

With that, she opened the door and disappeared into the hall with a sway of her hips.

"Crap," Blackburn muttered as he set down his bottle.

He got to his feet and made his way back to his bedroom all the while scratching Zwei behind his ears as he came up to greet him. He prayed that he still had a set of fresh gym clothes to use for his upcoming encounter with Yang.

* * *

Just like Coco had said, Blackburn found the bubbly blonde on the far end of the gym. She made her way into the secondary room where the boxing rings and punching bags were, intent on honing up her skills. He hurried after her and entered the room a minute later to see her in front of a punching bag just to the right.

Yang's eyes were narrowed with focus and her fists up in front of her face, closed tight. Her arms were almost a blur as her jabs shot out and hit the bag before she swung with a hard punch. She had used the perfect amount of force with her punch, just enough to shift her hips and drive her fist into the bag. It echoed loudly around the empty room almost resembling heavy thunder.

Her drill reset back to its steady cadence of a series of jabs followed by a strike. She would switch off each striking arm, not to appear reliant on one side, but there was no doubt her right hook had more power than her left.

Blackburn made his way up to the blonde and remained quiet to keep from disturbing her. She wasn't going anywhere any time soon and he had time to ask her what he needed.

"I know I'm good looking, Professor, but try not to make your staring too obvious," said Yang as she punched the bag one last time.

She turned around and gave him a toothy grin. Sweat was trickling down her face and she stood proudly with her chest puffed out and her hands on her hips.

"You're not my type, remember?" He simply replied with a small grin of his own.

"Doesn't mean you don't appreciate eye candy."

He rolled his eyes and folded his arms as Yang let out a laugh. She unscrewed the top of her water bottle and took a long gulp and smacked her lips.

"So, what brought you down here? Did you need to talk to me?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did. Coco told me you might be able to help me with something," said Blackburn.

Yang hummed and set her bottle back down and rolled her shoulders before turning her attention back to the bag. She started her routine, but continued to talk to him.

"What did she say I could help you with?" Her knuckles struck the bag again.

"Finding some guy by the name of Hei Xiong. You know him?" Blackburn stood off to the side.

The blonde's head perked up a little bit as he said that and a grin danced on her lips.

"Oh, you mean Junior?" She stepped forward with a strike. "Yeah, I know him pretty good."

Blackburn grinned back. Now he was getting somewhere. Maybe the blonde in front of him could really give him a hand if he needed it.

"How well?" He asked.

"Good enough to know the kind of business he does. And I did kinda' sorta' wreck his club," she answered back.

He felt his face fall and a frustrated growl escaped him. She was the only one who knew the location of his club and that proved to be problematic. If Hei Xiong saw him with Yang, there was a high chance he would not get much information out of him.

"If it's any consolation, we cleared the air about that whole thing. He's a good source if you're trying to find things on the DL," said Yang as she finished her set with another punch.

"Is he cooperative or is he pretty tight lipped?" Blackburn continued to fish for information.

"Depends on your wallet. He's willing to talk if you got the money, other than that you have to force it out of him with your fists."

Yang flexed her hands and her knuckles cracked as she emphasized her point. She wiped the sweat from her brow and picked up her water bottle again.

"But if you're too much of a goody two shoes, you can try suckering him into a game of cards and gamble for information. I heard he's got a craving for it," said Yang.

Blackburn nodded and was feeling much better with what Yang had told him. He had many options to choose from when he went to confront him eventually. Only two things needed to be answered.

"Did he ever work with Roman Torchwick?" Blackburn asked.

Yang offered him a flat stare and rose a brow.

"Of course he did! Last I checked he was still pissed since Roman borrowed some of his boys and got them banged up in a fight," she retorted.

And now he had his win of the bet. All he needed now was the location of Hei Xiong's club and they were set to begin planning for the mission.

He opened his mouth to ask her, but she held up her hand and stopped him. She offered him a wicked grin and shook her head.

"Uh-uh, no more. If you want me to answer any more of your questions, you're doing me a solid right here," said Yang.

Blackburn sucked his teeth.

"Which would be what?" He took a step forward.

The blonde jerked her thumb in the direction of an empty ring and started to walk towards it. She climbed into the ring and started tying her hair into a long ponytail. He followed close behind her and started to loosen up with some stretches.

"I want you to spar me. You do that, I'll tell you what you want to know," said Yang as she finished tying the knot in her hair.

"That's it?" Blackburn asked.

"Yup. To make it more interesting, no Semblances. Hand to hand like you taught us in class. First one to five hits or whoever forces a submission wins."

He nodded in agreement and brought his fists up in front of his face.

He could hold his own in hand to hand for a while, but it was not his forte. His best option was to try and tire the blonde out and get her into a submission if the opportunity presented itself. He had taken a punch from her before and knew just how much power the young woman had.

Yang was the first to move. She did not break eye contact with him as they circled each other slowly, waiting for the other to make the first strike. Her feet planted firmly in the ground and Blackburn quickly skidded back to avoid a hit, but it never came. It was a feint and one that she took pride in when she laughed at his defensive retreat.

"You're a little jumpy." She smirked at him.

"The term is cautious." He ignored her taunt.

"Whatever you say."

He watched her creep forward again, the grin still on her face. She was toying with him and he didn't want to admit it, but it was starting to irritate him. As a test to see how much she was paying attention, he tested her guard with a firm left jab which she blocked with ease. He did not stop there, though. He jabbed again, this time it was faster and when she went to block, he shifted his weight and raised his leg for a roundhouse kick.

His foot connected with a hard strike to her arm and the grin vanished from her lips, replaced a twitch of pain and annoyance.

"Okay, play time's over," said Yang.

She skid forward, the balls of her feet ghosting the floor. Her jabs were hard and fast and he could feel his forearms throb with each block he put up. It did not take him long to recognize the tempo she was using since she had practiced it just a few minutes prior to their spar. He knew what was coming next.

He ducked under her right hook and could hear the air whoosh violently as if metal cut through it. Not wasting time, he lunged forward and got inside the girl's guard and grabbed the collar of her shirt and her arm. He turned into her with his hips and knocked her off balance with a hip check, rolling her over his side and to the floor.

"Three more to go," he said.

Yang shot up to her feet with a handspring and came at him faster than before. The playful look in her eyes was now fixed with focus and frustration. Not only that, but they were now glowing red. Something he had seen before whenever she got flustered in a fight, and it normally led to a world of pain for the poor soul she was going against.

He instantly regretted his taunt and could feel a creeping sense of dread to claw its way out of the back of his mind. His eyes were starting to have trouble keeping up with the speed of her punches and before he even knew what happened, his head snapped to the side and he could feel the metallic taste of blood as it graced his tongue. His cheek throbbed violently from the left hook Yang surprised him with, but his ribs soon took on the pain courtesy of a hard kick.

Yang came in with another kick, this time with her left leg. His adrenaline kicked in and he quickly wrapped her leg up under his arm, stopping it just in time. The blonde's eyes narrowed back at him and her teeth poked out in a small snarl. He turned on his heel and forced her to hop and keep her balance and then without warning he threw his arm up, sweeping her off her feet.

A hard slam echoed around the room as Yang's back landed hard on the ring and she jumped to her feet again. She shot at him with a roar and he had to lean back to avoid a fierce uppercut from the blond. He had no time to dodge and felt his eyes bug out of his head when Yang came at him and drove her knee straight into his sternum.

Blackburn wheezed and tried to recuperate from the dazing blow, but found his air was cut off from a rear choke from the blonde. He could feel the blood rushing to his head and had to move fast. It only took a couple of seconds to knock someone out with a blood choke and he could not make a mistake here.

Through his watering eyes he took his right hand off of her arm and raised his arm high. He brought it back down with a hard elbow strike. It was enough to force Yang to spin and avoid the hit which eased her hold enough to allow air to sweep into his lungs to try again. He raised his arm once more and this time he found his mark. The tip of his elbow made contact with her rib cage and breast and her arm loosened around his neck.

He spun out of her grip and latched on to her wrist and worked his way behind her, forcing her into an arm bar. Her back tensed up and she glared at him over her shoulder, not pleased at being bested in their last pummeling session. She seemed to calm down enough to assess the situation as her eyes reverted back to their lilac color, but they did not lose their edge.

She started to move again, but he was quick to add pressure to her arm as a threat to keep her from pushing the limit of a break. This did not last for long. Her back leg quickly rose from the ground and shot at him like a mule kick and connected with his knee. He bit back a cry and felt his knee buckle along with his grip.

"Not too shabby, Connor," said Yang as the smirk returned to her face.

"I'll try to take that as a compliment." He grunted back.

"How's your lip?"

His foot shot forward and she stumbled forward when the ball of his heel it hit her shin. When she fell into him he quickly rolled on top of her and put as much weight on her to keep her pinned. The role was reversed as he now had a blood choke on her and he could feel her squirm desperately to break free.

"Cheap… trick!" She choked out.

"Train like you fight, Yang," he answered back.

Her retort was a push of her arm on the mat to roll them over and she escaped the hold. He heard her gasp for air, but she was quick to recover and test his guard as she sat on his stomach. One punch after the next came at him. They came from his left, his right and head on, and each one was forming massive welts on his arms that would bruise badly later.

Yang scooted further up his chest so that her knees tucked under his armpits and kept him from raising his guard. She gave one hard punch to the side of his face and he saw white lights burst in front of his eyes. He braced for the last hit, but it never came. Instead, he felt hands wrap around his neck. She was going for the submission to close the match. A grin was on her face and she had yet to apply the pressure to send him into blissful unconsciousness.

"Do you wanna' tap out?" She asked with a sweet smile.

Blackburn said nothing and this time he felt her put a little pressure on his artery.

"Do. You. Wanna'. Tap. Out. Professor?" She leaned closer with each word.

His chest bubbled as a chuckle escaped him and he raised his hand before lightly tapping the mat. Yang took her hands off him and scooted back to sit on his hips. She puffed out her chest victoriously again.

"You know, you really can fight hand to hand when it comes down to it," she commented, clearly impressed.

"I should hope so. I was trained to do that," he replied.

"While you're no pro like me, you gave me a good fight. So I'll keep my end of the bargain."

She leaned down with a playful smile and pressed her chest against his as she got down to eye level with him, giving him an eyeful of cleavage.

"What was your question?" She asked.

He gave her a flat stare.

"Get off me, please," he said

Yang puffed her cheeks out in a small pout and got to her feet.

"You're no fun, you know that?" She offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He waved it aside with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm just saying."

She followed him out of the ring and tossed him a spare towel that was at the base of it. He wiped the sweat off of his face and gently probed his face where the blonde managed to deck them in their spar. He winced as a sharp flare coursed through him and he silently cursed the girl's brutish strength.

"If you ever take up women's UFC, let me know so I can put my money down on you," he said.

"UFC?" Yang finished dabbing herself with her towel.

"Ultimate Fighting Championship. A sport where men and women just beat the crap out of each other using different fighting styles to win a match."

The blonde's face lit up with interest and she gave him a hearty shrug. She held out her hand and he shook it firmly.

"Deal. Anyway, what was that last question you had for me?" She asked.

"Right, well, can you show me where this club is?" He crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I could. Just let me know when Ice Queen Senior wants to make a move and I'll show you."

Blackburn only shook his head as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Like Coco mentioned earlier, the blonde was definitely easy to get along with.

* * *

 **Omake: Displaced Christmas Special**

Blackburn finished hanging the last ornament on the fake tree he had found while perusing the stores doing Christmas shopping. He also acquired a small box of ornaments and a star as an additional discount. He took a step back and admired his handiwork. It may not have been a real tree, but it would pass for the festive spirit.

He briefly remembered a tree hunting memory when he was seven and his parents took him to go find a tree. There had been a large snowstorm days before and it was cold. Trekking through the snow until they found the perfect tree that his father ended up cutting down with a hacksaw and then dragging it all the way back to their car to strap to the roof. By the end of it, he was so cold he was shaking even when the heat was on during the drive home.

"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad," he said under his breath.

He grabbed his beer off the table and took a sip from it. Zwei trotted up to the tree and sniffed around the base of it.

"Like that new tree smell, buddy?" He asked the pooch.

Zwei barked back and circled around before raising his leg and relieving himself.

"Aw, you little turd," Blackburn said as he went to fetch a towel.

Zwei barked again and snatched up his ball before trotting happily over to the desk to munch on it.

A knock came from the door and Blackburn took a look over his shoulder.

"It's open!" He called out.

The door opened and Team RWBY came in with the members of JNPR, CFVY and Winter to wrap it up.

"Where do you want the food, stud?" Coco asked.

"Just set it all on the counter here," he said as he walked back to the tree.

Once all the food had been set, plates were grabbed and loaded up with the each the dishes that was brought. Pulled pork, deviled eggs, meatballs, you name it. It was not a majestic meal, but one that was enough to bring a group of friends and teammates together to enjoy each other's company and have a good time to celebrate the holiday.

As the night went on, Blackburn noticed Coco and Yang's faces had gotten redder over the duration of the party. Both of them had been giggling and sending glances to each boy in the room. It did not take a genius to determine the conversation they were having.

"Hey, stud! Come over here!" Coco beckoned him over with a wave.

Yang shot the brunette a wink and gave him a cheeky grin as she went by him a moment later. Warning alarms went off in his head as he made his way over to Coco and smiled back at her.

"Where' the flask?" He asked as he leaned against the door.

"I have absholutely no idea what you're talking about," she said with a hiccup.

"Uh huh, yeah. Look at you, you can barely stand," he said with a laugh.

"Shays you!" She poked him hard in the chest and fell forward.

He caught her and almost lost his footing when she had most of her weight leaning on him. She groaned and let out a sigh as her face stayed glued to his chest. In fact, he could feel her trying to bury her face in it.

"Let me tell you shomethin!" She slurred as she lightly poked his chest again. "You are the shexiest professor in the school, and you have got a nice ass!"

 _"Oh, my sweet Jesus."_ Blackburn looked away from the brunette as his face began to burn.

He locked eyes with Winter and he could see her looking at him and Coco with narrowed eyes. The last thing he needed was to give Winter the wrong impression between him and student, because no matter their friendship, he knew she would take the necessary steps to stop fraternization. She weaved her way between the students and offered a smile to Weiss as she went by her. By the time she reached him, he noticed that her cheeks were tinted pink.

The lieutenant had been drinking, but was nowhere near the level of intoxication as the brunette trying to motorboat his chest.

"Hey, haven't talked to you yet!" He smiled at her.

"What is she doing?" Winter pointed at Coco.

"I'm not sure. I was hoping you could help me."

"Gladly!"

Winter grabbed the back of Coco's shirt and with some difficulty, managed to pry the drunk Huntress in training off of him. The girl let out a groan and her arms swiped back wildly trying to find their way back to Blackburn.

"What are you doing?" Winter asked her.

"Hugging my man-pillow! Now let go of me, Sugar Queen!" Coco broke free and stumbled forward.

Winter's face grew red and she now had a death grip on her beer bottle.

"Sugar Queen!?" Her eye twitched.

"Yeah, I shaid that! What're you gonna' do about it?" Coco swayed.

She managed to find her footing and stood up to Winter with her hands on her hips. Without the slightest hint of fear she pressed her chest against the lieutenant's as if challenging her. By this point the entire party was now looking between the two women with curiosity.

"I think you've had more than enough," said Winter.

"Let me tell you a little something about you that YOU don't know!" Coco puffed her chest up to hers.

Velvet quickly hurried up and grabbed Coco's shoulder and tried to pull her away to keep a cat fight from starting.

"Coco, let's get some air. Right now." The rabbit Faunus began to pull her like a stern mother.

"Uh-uh, not until I make my point, Vel!" She shook her head.

The brunette returned her focus to Blackburn and jabbed him in the chest with a firm finger and glared at him over the top of her shades. Her lips were pursed in a thin scowl and her arms were crossed.

"Have you seen the poll?" She asked him.

Blackburn blinked and looked between her and Coco and then at the rest of the group as they gathered around.

"The what?" He asked her.

"You know what I'm talking about! The poll between me and Sugar Queen here!" She jerked her thumb back at Winter.

"Stop calling me that!" Winter shot back.

Coco blew a raspberry at the elder Schnee and got a growl out of her in doing so.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked the drunk girl again.

Coco scoffed and swayed in place and held up a finger to speak. She quickly closed her mouth and her eyes widened as if she was about to regurgitate all of the liquor she and Yang guzzled down. When she didn't, she continued on as if nothing happened.

"There's a poll between me and her about who's the better lover for you!" She pulled out her scroll.

Blackburn blinked and his mind went blank for a second. When his mind registered what the girl had said he blinked again and looked between her and Winter. Both girls were glaring at each other and if one looked closely, sparks could be seen flying between them.

Coco then stomped over to his desk and let her scroll sync with the terminal to blow up the window she had on it. Sure enough, there was a poll asking for a decision between Coco and Winter for who would be the better romantic interest for him at the end of the day. It was hard to believe that he was looking at it, but it stood clear as day.

"Who made this thing?" He asked.

"Who cares? Just look at the results!" Coco pointed at it.

Taking another look at the results, Blackburn was able to point out the reason why the brunette was so wound up. Between her and Winter, only sixteen people had cast votes and the majority of them had gone to Winter. Only five had voted for her and she was livid.

"That is bullshit!" She grumbled.

"Seems fair to me," Winter said with small shrug.

"People are biased because you got more hype than me!"

Winter only shrugged again and her smug grin only served for Coco's teeth to poke out in a frustrated snarl.

"I refuse to lose to a wound up woman!" Coco rested her hands on her hips.

"Wound up?" Winter narrowed her eyes a little bit.

"You wouldn't know fun if it slapped you in the face!"

"I beg to differ, you spoiled diva!"

Coco walked around from the desk and marched up to Winter. She stopped in front of her and her eyes locked with hers.

"Call me a diva one more time," she said in a low tone.

The tension had reached its peak, and all it would take is one little jab or poke to fuel the fire that threatened to ignite between the two beauties.

"I just have more to offer," said Winter.

Somewhere in the distance, a roar of "Oh!" and "Savage!" could be heard, prompting everyone to search for it briefly.

Coco lunged forward and tackled Winter to the ground and the two of them rolled on floor clawing and grabbing each other.

While most of the occupants continued to watch the fight, Fox and Weiss walked over to Blackburn to look at the poll with him.

"Who the hell wastes time to set up some stupid shipping poll?" Fox asked.

"Someone with too much time on their hands, clearly," Weiss said with a sigh.

The three of them only nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile in the tallest tower, Ozpin's eyes continued to observe his handiwork. This had no relevance to the story in any way, so he decided to give himself a source of holiday entertainment at the expense of his assistant professor. Two lovely women with the potential to kindle a relationship with him. It was his calling, and he loved observing what came from his meddling.

He took a long sip from his new thermos that Doctor Oobleck had given him as a gift and a relaxed smile spread across his lips. Nothing beat fresh coffee and a catfight instigated by a shipping poll. Others may call him a sadistic man, but he preferred the term eccentric.

"I will never understand the joy you see in this," said Glynda as she cast a glance at him.

"One day when you are older and you are seeking entertainment, it will become clear, Glynda," said Ozpin.

"Perhaps, but not in this. This is just perverse."

"Oh, waaah." He dismissed her words with a wave of his hand.

This earned a look of disbelief of from his deputy headmistress.

"I swear you are a child," she said with a shake of her head.

"You're only figuring this out now?" He rose a brow in return.

"Don't start with me."

Ozpin smiled and swiveled in his chair to face her.

"And if I continue, what will happen? I have a very peculiar set of powers you couldn't begin to imagine, my dear," he answered calmly.

Glynda said nothing and only pointed her riding crop at him.

"I'll start by destroying that thermos and then I'll deal with you," she gave her warning.

The threat of his thermos being harmed made the man's eyes narrow dangerously and his hand gripped his cane. No one would harm his precious as long as he held breath.

"Glynda, if you destroy my thermos, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," he said.

The tension between the headmaster and headmistress was strong. In the spotless office, a lone tumbleweed rolled between them and a whistle followed suit.

"Let's dance," Ozpin said as he got to his feet.

"In the name of justice, I will bring order to this madness of yours," said Glynda.

"The madness will consume you, just like it did me!"

* * *

 **Okay, that's the chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it, and hopefully the little omake here made you laugh. My sense of humor tends to be hit and miss, but we'll see. That should go without saying that the omake is in no way affiliated with the canon of the story and was just here as a joke. That being said, check out the statements and review responses below. Have a Merry Christmas, and I'll see you all shortly.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next update is scheduled for the two year anniversary date of the story being 12/30/2017.**

 **2.) The poll between Coco and Winter is still up on my profile page. If you haven't voted, go and do so. Like I mentioned before, it doesn't affect anything in the story since it is more out of curiosity to see who you all thought had better chemistry with Blackburn.**

 **3.) Check out my story "Butterfly Effect". It's a RWBY SI/OC story that will have realistic progression and development.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **Blue Falcon: A military euphemism that is given to someone in particular who is a buddy fucker. A supposed comrade who whose actions harm his friends, often times for his own benefit.**

 **LT: Short abbreviation for lieutenant.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **redx1221: Thanks for the review, man. I made note of your critique on Weiss and Winter's interaction, but what would you say needed to be done to make it better? You kind of left that open ended and I can't fix it unless you specifically say what could have been better. Anyway, thanks again and have a good Christmas.**

 **Drake D. Zero: Thanks for the review. Glad you thought the scene with Blake was good and that she came off as in character. Merry Christmas!**

 **Onesided Bias: Thanks a bunch for the review, I appreciate it. Glad you think the character interactions are great and written realistically. Now in terms of how much this affects canon, it doesn't do much since this is a side story taking place between the events of The Breach and The Vytal Festival. At the end of the day, the story will build up to potential changes that could come during the Vytal Festival because of Blackburn's interference. Thanks again for the review, and have a great Christmas!**

 **Maverick058: Thanks a lot for the review, man! I think that spelling could be subjective since when I typed it in Microsoft Word it wasn't labeled as incorrect, but I humored you by changing it. Well, you can look forward to a continued conversation about that between Blackburn and Blake later. Thanks again, and Merry Christmas!**

 **Gabriel H. Sapphire: What are you telling me this for in review, man? Vote for Coco on the poll! Winter's kickin' her ass by six votes as of now! Merry Christmas!**

 **Hellwyrm: Thanks for the review, bud. I'm glade I was able to make you feel inclined to agree with Blackburn on his stance since my intention was for people to take both sides without feeling obligated to seeing only one person's view on the subject. Thanks again, and have a good Christmas!**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: Well, that'd be unfortunate. Guess we'll have to wait and see since I'm still on the fence about pairing him in general. Merry Christmas!**


	30. Battle Buddy

**Well, I screwed up by missing the update on the anniversary. That's what happens when you try to update as many of your popular stories as you can and a 503 error that hits at the worst times. In a way, this can still count as an anniversary update and a mark to the new year.**

 **Thank you all so much for the support these past two years. Every hit, follow, favorite and review means a lot to me. I know I sound like a broken record with saying this, but for this kind of feedback on an OC story, it feels like a strong testament to my skill as a writer, and I have all of you to thank for that. As thanks, I made this chapter extra long for all of you. We are at 30 chapters now at 220k words for a story that was supposed to only be 25 chapters long. Love you guys, thanks a bunch! Let's get to the chapter!**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter sat down in her chair and leaned back with a sigh. Although she avoided trouble earlier that day from Ironwood with the help of Blackburn, she kept catching the general sending her small looks throughout the day. Her unfortunate accident had now drawn the attention of the veteran who would not stop sending her his little subtle reminders until she redeemed herself. At this rate her best bet would be to get confirmation about Roman's collusion with Hei Xiong so she could present it to Ironwood and come up with a plan for their next mission.

Her eyes cast over to the clock in her room and a small smirk danced on her lips. Only one minute to go before the deadline she set for Blackburn came and he had yet to call her. It was a victory that she could almost taste and she was ready to gloat when he came calling. Just thirty seconds to go.

The smile vanished from her lips when her scroll began to vibrate and Blackburn's number popped up on screen. She sucked her teeth and she felt her lips stick out in a small pout. So close!

"Hello?" She answered the call.

"Got confirmation about Roman's affiliation with Hei Xiong. According to Yang, she knows Hei Xiong since she goes to his club, and the word is that the guy is pissed at Roman because he loaned him some of his men that got banged up in a job," said Blackburn.

"I see. And you know this for a fact?"

"Yang said she'd be willing to take me into town to show me the club the second we got the go ahead from you."

Winter hummed under her breath and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. She closed her eyes and mulled over her friend's words silently. Although her day was done, Blackburn was right about getting the jump on the White Fang along with Queen and Lotus. Plus, going above and beyond by presenting General Ironwood with that information would surely get her out of his crosshairs from the little infraction she had.

"What can you tell me about Hei Xiong? I need something to go on when I report to General Ironwood," said Winter.

"Well, the guy is a goldmine in terms of information on the underground, but he's pretty tight lipped. Yang says unless we have money, we'll have to force it out of him with a fight or butter him up with gambling," Blackburn answered back.

She pursed her lips and clicked her tongue. Of course that would be the case. It would be too easy, otherwise. Nothing ever came easy in this line of work, and if it did, it was never good.

"And I don't know about you, but my wallet ain't full of Benjamin's," said Blackburn.

Winter hummed again to acknowledge his words and pinched the bridge of her nose in thought. She wasn't flourishing in money either. Although officer pay for active duty was decent, she was not keen on spending any of since she was adamant about saving it for a house. There was no asking her father either since the man cut her off the second she enlisted into the Atlas Military.

"Well, causing a scene is not acceptable. Our best chance is to go with option three. Are you decent at gambling?" She spoke again.

She heard him grunt back on the other side of the line and her eyes opened halfway. That didn't sound very assuring.

"Never been one to gamble, but the few times I did I won," he answered back.

She quirked a brow and bit the inside of her lip. A sigh escaped her a minute later and she silently prayed she wasn't making a bad decision with what she prepared to say.

"I'll tell you what, Connor. I'll loan you money to buy your way into whatever game Hei Xiong will be willing to play, but you need to win. It's out of my savings," said Winter.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

"Winter, you don't need to do that. I'm sure if we explain this to General Ironwood or Ozpin they'd be willing to loan…" Blackburn tried to dismiss the suggestion.

"Neither of them will do that for budget reasons. I trust you enough to get the job done, but I want to hear you say it. Do you feel you can win if I give you the money?" She asked calmly.

There was another long pause and for a fleeting moment, a small pocket of doubt grew in her stomach. The man was normally confident with everything she threw at him, but to hear him hesitate to persuade her to think differently made her concerned.

"It depends on the game," he finally broke the silence. "If it's blackjack or poker I have a good shot."

"Okay. That's all I wanted to hear from you," she said with a small smile.

"I have to say that I'm surprised you're willing to do that, Winter. This sounds like something you'd never do."

Her smile grew and her fingers gently tapped the armrest of her chair. The man knew her well enough, but to be fair, anyone who knew her was aware of her tight wallet.

"It's not," she agreed with him. "But you're a special case."

Her eyes snapped open at her own words and she briefly wondered if he caught that. The words even caught her by surprise and for a brief moment her heart fluttered. She did not want him interpreting anything the wrong way and that could have just as easily done that.

"Damn right I'm special! My mommy says so!" He answered back.

Her face faltered and she held back a snort of laughter at the witty comeback.

"Very well. I'll give you the check when I call you for the brief so you can trade it in for the money," said Winter.

"Sounds good, but I don't suppose you can help me with one other thing?" Blackburn answered back.

"What do you need?"

"I don't have a vehicle in town and I need some wheels in case shit goes wrong. Do you know anyone that can loan me a car?"

That was a doozy. Vale would not be willing to loan out cars at the request of the Atlas Military due to their occupation over the city. However, her mind drifted back to Shadow and she vaguely remembered him boasting during his interrogation that he had a couple of cars hidden in some location.

"I might know someone who can help, but I will have to talk to him first. If I'm right, he'll be more than willing to cooperate," said Winter.

"Beautiful. Just hit me up when everything is all set," said Blackburn.

"I will. I'll talk to you soon, Connor."

She disconnected the call and set her scroll back on her desk. She lost the bet, but at least they had a plan of attack now and it all relied on trust and a game of chance.

Her hand fumbled for her drawer and she opened it to pull out a small notebook and her checkbook. Once she finished writing her talking points on the notebook for her quick brief to Ironwood, she turned her focus on the blank check. She set the tip of the pen on the line and scribbled in a decent buy in amount and after offering a silent prayer, she signed the check.

A small part of her told her to reconsider what she was about to do, but she decided to do what she had been doing lately. Taking more risk and telling her instinct to stuff it.

She put the check in her top drawer, grabbed her notebook and her scroll before making her way to the door. When the door closed behind her, she stopped in her tracks and pinched the bridge of her nose again.

 _"I forgot to ask him about that!"_ Her eyes screwed shut in frustration.

Well, no matter. She would be seeing Blackburn soon enough and she had time to worry about that later. Her feet began carrying her to the detention block where she needed to pay a visit to her favorite informant.

* * *

True to her word, Winter was able to get Shadow to spill information about his cars and where he had them stored in the city. He was more than willing to cooperate and part of that had to deal with the potential to be waterboarded, but mostly because they were treating him as close to a king as a detainee could be. In trade for that, he had been singing like a canary.

Shadow's cars were held in a small storage facility on the far southern side of the city, close to where the Bullheads landed for transport to Beacon which was perfect. All Blackburn had to do was find the key hidden inside the splintered wood of the facility where his unit was. The cars that were available were both sports cars, but she was sure that neither of them would matter much so long as Blackburn had a vehicle.

After she ironed out that piece of the puzzle, she went and presented her findings to General Ironwood who had been somewhat surprised with her after duty visit. She was happy to see the spark of life return to the man's eyes at the prospect of coming out with more information at their potential mission, replacing the looks of disbelief he had been hitting her with all day which was a welcome breath of fresh air.

The moment she gave him his short brief, he requested her to put in some extra work to have a mission brief ready to give Ozpin before seven. It was short notice, but she always did well under pressure. With help from Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle she had a presentation ready to go within forty-five minutes, leaving her with fifteen minutes to rehearse the late scheduled brief, but she was more than comfortable to give it.

When seven came, she found herself on the bridge with General Ironwood, Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle for the conference call with Ozpin. Blackburn arrived at the bridge a little late, but she forgave his tardiness since he had to round up Yang and the members of Team CFVY.

"Ah, now that we're all here, I trust we can begin?" Ozpin asked as he folded his hands before him.

"Yes," said Ironwood with a nod.

Ironwood turned to Winter and nodded at her. She took a step forward and cleared her throat, motioning for Sergeant Green to bring up an additional screen to show the rundown of their mission.

"I apologize for the late brief, sir, but we have a lead towards more information on White Fang activity along with Queen and Lotus," Winter began.

Ozpin gave a curt nod back.

"Then by all means, enlighten me Miss Schnee," the headmaster answered back.

Winter nodded again and folded her arms behind her back and locked eyes with the old man. Her posture was strong and her resolve solid.

"As you know, Shadow gave us a tip regarding a well-known source that has connections with the criminal underground," she continued.

Hei Xiong's picture popped up on the screen along with a photo of his club that she had acquired, courtesy of Yang who had taken selfies at the place before she utterly destroyed it on the first go around.

"According to Miss Xiao-Long's information, he will be willing to talk if given money, or else we will have to force it out of him through submission or gambling," said Winter.

Ozpin held up his hand and gave her a somewhat sharp look.

"Miss Schnee, I trust you know that General Ironwood and I cannot offer money for obvious reasons and that I forbid any form of unnecessary confrontation?" He asked.

"Of course, sir. I have discussed the matter with Blackburn a few hours ago and we agreed that it would be best to try and bribe him with gambling. I have volunteered to use my own money to loan Blackburn to buy his way into a game," Winter answered back.

The headmaster's brow perked up in interest and she could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her and could picture them sending glances to Blackburn in-between.

"And you trust Professor Blackburn enough to handle this situation? If he loses, you will lose everything you lent him," Ozpin said.

She was sure he was testing her resolve again, much like he did the last time when it came to entrusting Blackburn to watch over Weiss' team.

"I do. He may be cocky, but he's not daft," said Winter.

She smirked lightly at seeing the light glare from her friend out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm right here, Winter. Right here," said Blackburn.

"Yes, you are. Now be quiet," she replied with a wicked smile.

Although his words were quiet after she hit him with her last retort, she heard them clear as day and strangely enough, it only made the smile on her face grow.

"Bitch!"

She continued with her brief, ignoring the name without missing a beat. There would be time to get payback on him later.

"Which brings us to our approach on the mission," said Winter.

Sergeant Green brought up the next window and it showed a map. A red circle was clear on the far northern side of the city, close to where the slums were. Surprisingly the club was popular despite the bad location, but the main reason was because the majority of the goers were criminals looking for work. The money that was brought in through the criminal activity was more than enough to fund the club enough to repair it and keep it open.

"Most of the people inside this club are criminals that know Hei Xiong, and this poses as a threat because it runs the risk of instigating a conflict. For that, I wish to take a small team into the city as a measure of control to contain the potential fight that may break out," Winter continued.

She already had the team in place. It would be herself, Blackburn, Yang and two members from Team CFVY. The other two members of Coco's team would post as lookouts with eyes on the club to alert them of any activity or police that may come to intervene if a fight were to break out.

"We will only use force if engaged directly, but other than that we will maintain a low profile and blend in as criminals to avoid any public backlash," she finished.

Ozpin's eyes flicked back to the map and stared at it for a long minute. He was analyzing every bit of information she had provided him and it would ultimately be his call once again if the mission was given clearance. When his eyes turned back to her she stood up straight, ready to defend her position and persuade him again.

"If you are compromised, how will you leave the premises? I don't want to have another incident like before when Mister Blackburn recklessly chased Shadow through the city," said Ozpin.

She nodded again. Sergeant Green pushed another button and this time three different colored arrows appeared on the map starting at the circled club. The colors were green, yellow and red. A primary, and alternate and contingency egress route to use in case they had to go loud and fight their way out.

"Each of these arrows represents a route we will follow depending on the police response if they are called with the help of those who will be put on OP from Miss Adel's team. Green is our primary escape route. Yellow is our alternate, and red is our contingency. Once we break contact and have evacuated the area, our assembly point will be at the park over here," said Winter as she pointed to the same park where they apprehended Shadow.

She returned her arms to their position behind her back and patiently waited for Ozpin's response. A wave of assurance flowed through her when she saw him look at the map she presented again and he cupped his chin in thought.

"Who will be the team that enters the club with you?" Ozpin asked.

"Blackburn, Xiao Long, Alistair and Daichi," said Winter.

A hum escaped the spectacled headmaster and he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands once again. A small smile appeared on his face as he looked back at her.

"How soon are you willing to begin the mission?" Ozpin asked.

Winter spared a quick look to her team and smiled inwardly. Each of them looked eager to get out and get on with the mission which filled her with more confidence. They were ready to follow through with her command because of the trust they had with each other and were ready to ensure success.

"Immediately, sir!" Winter said with a puff of her chest.

Ozpin nodded and his eyes cast over to Ironwood a second later.

"James, you're free to do what you need." He then cast his eyes back to Winter. "Well done, Lieutenant Schnee. Remember my terms."

"Yes, sir!" She bowed back.

Before Ozpin could disconnect the call, Blackburn cleared his throat and stepped up to Winter.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I want to suggest something," said Blackburn.

"By all means," Ozpin said as he held out his hand.

Winter turned her eyes to her friend and she saw him meet her gaze briefly and blinked. He looked hesitant on speaking, but he mustered his courage to do so.

"With all due respect, Winter. I think you should sit this one out," said Blackburn.

His comment threw her for a loop and she could only stare back at him with surprise. Everyone else appeared to be in the same boat as her. This was her mission and it was her job to call the shots, but now Blackburn was telling her to sit this one out. She felt her brow crease into a firm glare and she crossed her arms defiantly.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked.

"You heard me," said Blackburn.

"I'm aware of what you said, but I want to know your reasoning. If you can't give me a valid reason, I'm going out there. It's my job and I intend to do it."

Her stare did not let up and she saw Blackburn's face soften.

"Look, it's not that I think you're useless or anything like that. It's more of a precaution given who you are," he said calmly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She challenged.

"You're a Schnee. You're going to stick out like a sore thumb, and if any criminal recognizes you, they may take the chance to take you out as a favor for the White Fang."

Winter felt her glare vanish and blinked at the reasoning her friend offered. Although it was a good point and she was thankful for his insight, she did not see the need to sit out the mission.

"Hmm." Ozpin cupped his chin.

Winter quickly looked at Ozpin and then back to Ironwood who seemed to be contemplating Blackburn's words.

"Sir, you can't be considering this, can you?" She asked.

Ironwood sighed and frowned at her.

"He does have a point, Winter. I know full well what you are capable of, but given the repercussions that this mission brings alone, it may be a good idea to call the shots from the bridge," said Ironwood.

She felt her mouth twitch into a scowl and she shot Blackburn a nasty look. The man only turned away, refusing to meet her cold eyes. He didn't seem happy with his own words by his body language.

"It may be for the best," Ozpin spoke up from behind her.

Winter clenched her fists tight and looked down at the floor with her eyes screwed shut. She took a long breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth. She was silent for a minute before looking back up.

"Fine," she said as soundly as she could.

After conceding to the words of her superiors, Ozpin disconnected the call and left them to their business. Anger burned in her stomach and it was close to coursing through her.

"All right, we're going to head back to Beacon and get changed. We'll meet at the landing zone in an hour and head into town," said Blackburn.

With the orders given, the members of the team exited the bridge to make their way to the landing strip for transport back to Beacon. Blackburn lingered behind to collect the check she had written for him that was currently pinched between her fingertips.

When Blackburn stepped up to her she handed the check to him and fixed him with another glare. Her fingers did not let up on the check as she stared into his eyes.

"Winter, I…" he tried to explain, but she was having none of it.

"We'll talk about this later. I'm relying on you, so get the job done," she said through grit teeth.

She let go of the check and turned around, not sparing him a parting glance. She could still feel his presence behind her as he stood rooted to the spot.

"Sorry," he muttered.

His footsteps grew faint as he made his way to the door and departed the bridge.

She stood there silently with her anger threatening to grow by the second. The eyes of Sergeant Green, Sergeant Doyle and General Ironwood were on her.

"Lieutenant Schnee, it's okay to be frustrated and you have the right to be, but don't let this one mission ruin your friendship with Blackburn," said Ironwood.

"After everything we've been through, he goes and says that," she said.

Ironwood gave her a small smile and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's because he cares about you, Winter. He knows you're far from useless and would be an asset on the mission," Ironwood answered back.

"Then why keep me here? I'm supposed to be leading them on the mission!" She retorted back.

A calm look from the general made her shoulders sag a little as she tried to relax.

"You know, back when I was a lieutenant, I had a platoon sergeant that often came off like my father at times. He had my back just as I had his. We didn't see eye to eye on everything and got into some heated discussions. One mission in particular led to him insisting I sit out because of how I was in the field," Ironwood continued.

Winter said nothing and only looked back at her commander, intrigued with the story and the similar circumstances it was bringing so far.

"I loved being in the thick of it because I wanted to be a respected officer in the eyes of my men. I would put myself in dangerous and foolish situations to prove myself and it got me into a lot of trouble." He smiled fondly.

Ironwood then raised his arms and his knuckles wrapped on it, and to her surprise, a light clang met her ears. The man had lost a limb? She knew he had a record for getting into the fight a lot, but she never knew the severity of his injuries.

"After I lost my arm, he wanted me to sit out because he felt my luck had run out and told me that I was no good to my men dead," he said.

"What did you do?" She asked.

Ironwood let out a light chuckle and folded his arms behind him.

"I agreed at first, but then I remembered I was a lieutenant and had rank at the end of the day. He was leading the mission and I ended up coming in late, which worked out well since I ended up saving his life from a Grimm," Ironwood replied.

"Was he furious?" She asked, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Of course. He gave me an earful when I regained consciousness."

She blinked and rose a brow in mild surprise.

"The Grimm got a good hit on me," said Ironwood as he tapped the metal plate above his eye.

She looked at him in silent amazement. She wondered for the longest time how he got that plate implanted in his head and shuddered at what the wound would looked like when he got it.

"I started listening to him more after that one, but my point is that you should take the words of your second in command to mind. You may not agree with their decision, but they mean well at the end of the day. Your men look to you at the end of the day, and it does no good if you get yourself killed," said Ironwood.

Winter let his words dance around her head and broke from them after a firm squeeze to her shoulder from the veteran.

"It's your show, Winter."

With that, the general turned on his heel and left the bridge.

She stared after the older man for a long minute before turning her eyes back to Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle who were awaiting her orders.

"Sergeant Green, I want you to command from the bridge here. I'm going into the city," she said.

The man nodded back with a toothy grin and made his way to the console to bring up the map.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Winter smiled back and swiftly made her way back to her quarters. She caught the subtle words that Ironwood left her with and took them to heart. It was also something Blackburn would have done in her position. She was going in with them, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

Upon reaching her room, she made her way to her closet and she opened it. After finding the dress she wanted she made her way to the bathroom to get ready.

* * *

Blackburn found his mind wandering back to Winter after he left the bridge. The look on her face was not just one of anger, but hurt and betrayal. She trusted him enough to loan her personal money for the mission to coerce Hei Xiong into a game of gambling, but he turned around and told her to sit out.

He shook his head silently as he fiddled with the loose piece of wood in the corner of the garage. He pulled out a silver key and unlocked the padlock to the garage and with a pull of his hand, lifted it up to enter the unit. The light overhead clicked on and revealed two pristine sports cars, most likely the ones Shadow used during his races and they were a site to behold.

Both of the cars were two door coupes that had a small backseat area for people to sit in, although it would be cramped. They were manuals and just screamed raw power. Not a single scratch had shown in the finished paint job. They looked fresh off the production line.

"Nice!" Blackburn felt a wide grin spread across his face.

"I'll say. Think you can beat me in a race, Professor?" Yang smirked at him as she folded her arms.

"Don't encourage him, Blondie," Coco interjected with a smirk of her own.

"You were the one that said he could drive and I want to see it for myself!"

Blackburn walked up to the first car and found the key inside the front wheel well. He unlocked the car and folded back the seat to allow Coco and Velvet to hop in. Yatsuhashi went to the passenger side and climbed inside, but the poor kid was still too big. The top of his head was touching the roof of the car and his legs were hugging the front of his seat to allow his knees room to bend.

"So where am I sitting?" Fox looked at Blackburn.

"You're riding with me, big boy," Yang said as she wrapped her arm around his neck.

Blackburn watched Fox's eyes widen slightly at the sudden realization and the boy sent a sideways glance at the bubbly blonde. From the corner of his eye, Blackburn saw Coco grinning widely and he silently wondered what had the brunette so elated.

The girl gave Fox a big thumbs up and continued to beam as the boy was led towards the yellow motorcycle Yang had parked outside the garage. Once she and Fox got on, Blackburn started the car. The exhaust thundered loudly as he pressed down on the gas pedal. It was one of the most majestic sounds he would never get tired of hearing.

He guided the car out of the garage and hopped out to shut the unit and lock it again.

"Try not to fall too far behind, Professor!" Yang said as she put her helmet on.

"I'll be waiting at the bar by the time you show up," he said with a shake of his head.

He slammed the door of the car and shifted it into gear and took off like a rocket. Out of the rearview mirror he could see the lone bright headlight on the front of Yang's motorcycle as it trailed behind them. It wasn't long before she pulled up right beside the car and waved with a cocky smirk on her face.

His attention was instead fixed on Fox as the boy held on to Yang for dear life. His legs were glued to the bike and his arms were fastened around her stomach and he was pressing into her with everything he had. Deep down Blackburn couldn't blame him, but at the same time, he could not help but laugh at the look of horror plastered on his face.

The ride across the city was fast with the lack of traffic and both vehicles changed the lead on their race as they zipped and flew down back roads that would not be monitored by cops. Remembering the map, Blackburn knew that there was road coming up on the left that would allow him to soar towards the club by resembling the back stretch of the Daytona 500. He let Yang pull ahead and she continued straight down the side street while the tires of the car squealed loudly as he hit the brake and shifted gears to go down the road.

The sudden change caught Coco, Velvet and Yatsuhashi off guard as they were all pulled towards the other side of the car. When they shot down the road again, it was Velvet that broke the silence.

"Please don't do that again, Professor," she said as she let go of the seat.

"I agree." Yatsuhashi nodded.

Too late. He shifted again and let the car drift as it rounded the corner and the club came into view. He pulled up to a nearby alley to hide the car and killed the engine. A minute later, Yang pulled up beside him with a grin on her face.

"Took the risk of going by a cop, eh? I like it," she said as she took off her helmet.

"Had to take the chance," he answered back as he got out of the car.

Yatsuhashi, Coco and Velvet all hopped out of the vehicle, thankful to be free from the wild driving. A look to their silent teammate showed that some of the color had returned to his face after weaving through the tight spaces with Yang.

"Okay, you all know the drill." Blackburn looked at each of them. "Coco, Velvet, you two get up on the roof here and keep an eye out for any cops or suspicious activity."

"Got it," said Coco as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

She and Velvet made their way to the nearby fire escape and began to climb it. Their footsteps echoed lightly on the metal with each step on the ladders and stairs until the neared the top of the roof. Once they were out of sight, Blackburn led Yang, Fox and Yatsuhashi towards the club's entrance.

Each of them were dressed fairly well, but not as though they were attending a formal. Blackburn had on his purple shirt over his khakis and his blazer that Coco had picked out for him during their mall run. Fox had on some black jeans and a dark blue button up shirt. Yatsuhashi was wearing black pants to go along with a long sleeve orange shirt with a black tie. To wrap it up, Yang was wearing a beige and black sweater to go with her black shorts and boots.

None of them had their weapons to keep a low profile except for him and Yang, opting to go with hand to hand and break off if things went south. Blackburn lightly patted his M9 that was tucked inside his blazer to make sure it was secure before they stopped outside the door.

"Just be cool and follow me. If two girls come up to you, just say you're with me and they'll take a hike," said Yang as she strutted forward with an extra sway in her hips.

Booming base music welcomed them as Yang opened the doors. Through the second set of doors there was a series of colored lights that flashed through the small window. The music drowned out everything the moment Yang opened the doors with a smile that threatened to split her face in two.

The club was packed. Tables were crowded with people who were chatting and laughing as they sipped on drinks. The dance floor was a solid wall of bodies as people were crammed together like sardines.

"This way, boys!" Yang beckoned them over to the bar.

As they continued to follow the blonde, Blackburn's eyes scanned the club for the nearest exits. He could make out three. One was in the main entrance and there was one on each far corner of the dance floor that would lead to the back alley and to their alternate and contingency routes. He was able to spot the bouncers near each exit and overlooking the club from an upper balcony.

Sizing each of them up, they were about his size with one or two of them matching Yatsuhashi. He silently commended Winter for her call to have Fox and Yatsuhashi come in as the extra muscle. If things went south because Murphy decided to rear his ugly head like he always did, they at least had a fighting chance to get out of the club.

He stood beside Yang as they reached the counter while Fox and Yatsuhashi made their way a little down the bar to sit in some empty chairs. They didn't need to be told to keep an eye open since they were serving as sentries to alert him and Yang in case something was off.

A big bearded man in a black vest sporting a red tie appeared before him and Yang. It was Hei Xiong, or Junior as Yang affectionately called him. Blackburn was greeted with a small nod by the large man.

"What can I get for you… oh, what the hell? What do you want this time, Blondie?" Junior's eyes fell on Yang who only beamed back.

"I'm just showing my friend here around the city, Junior. Told him that this place was the best club in town," she answered back as she leaned on the counter.

Junior looked at her flatly and crossed his arms.

"Why are you really here? Every time you show your face it's because you're looking for something. So what do you want?" Junior grilled her.

Yang shifted her eyes to Blackburn and then back to Junior.

"Talk to my friend here. He's the one who wanted to talk to you," she deflected the attention to him.

Blackburn watched Junior's eyes turn back to him and bear into him. He stayed strong and showed no sign of faltering confidence. As long as he kept calm and played his cards right, he would be able to get Junior to spill the information he wanted.

"Who are you?" Junior asked him.

"Blackburn," he answered back with no hesitation.

Junior grunted back and set two glasses on the counter in front of him and Yang. Whiskey filled his glass while and pink looking beverage filled the blonde's and her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Nicely done, Junior!" Yang raised her glass and took a long sip. "Perfect as usual."

The burly man brushed her compliment aside and returned his focus to Blackburn.

"What exactly are you looking for? This place isn't a good one to make friends," said Junior.

"I'm not here to make friends. I'm here on business," Blackburn replied taking a sip from his glass.

"You and everyone else here, kid. I know everyone here and some of them are the last guys you want to cross."

"I like my chances just fine."

He set his glass down and his fingers pulled out the check that Winter had given him. Junior's eyes flicked down to the slip and they widened briefly when he saw the amount on them. Seeing this made Blackburn smirk inwardly. The glint in the man's eyes could not be mistaken. He now had his complete attention.

"Yang tells me that you're a gambling man, so how about we make this interesting?" He proposed after he tucked the check away.

"I'm listening." Junior leaned back.

"We play a game of blackjack. My buy in fee is the check I just showed you. If I win, you tell me what I want to know. If you win, the check is yours."

Junior stroked his beard and his eyes darted back down to the pocket he tucked the check in.

"Fine. I'll take that bet. We'll play the best of three rounds," said Junior with a small smirk.

"Good. Let's go," said Blackburn.

He brought his glass up and downed the rest of his whiskey. He shuddered as the sour kick hit him full force and he watched Junior walk out from the bar. His eyes fell back on Yang.

"Text me if shit's about to hit the fan," he whispered to her.

"Way ahead of you, boss!" She chirped back holding up her scroll.

Yang looked over his shoulder and her eyes narrowed. She grabbed her drink and wormed her way through the crowd and over to Fox who was being cornered by two girls. Both of them were twins and they appeared to be getting very handsy with him.

Yang appeared beside Fox a second later and gave the twins a smile that looked way too friendly. It was enough to make both of them take a step back and glower at her and Fox looked relieved at the save from the blonde.

* * *

"Hey, you coming or what?" Junior asked him from the end of the bar.

Blackburn nodded and inched his way through the people and followed Junior to a side door. The man adjusted his tie as he opened the door and it revealed a fairly large room that had a pool table and small poker tables to go along with it. He led Blackburn to the far end where a man in a black suit stood.

"Got another one, boss?" The man asked.

"Yeah. Get the cards ready. We're playing blackjack," Junior said with a nod as he took a spot at the table.

Blackburn mimicked the large man and sat to his right and pulled the check out. He slid it forward with his fingertips and the dealer picked it up.

"You sure about this, kid?" Junior asked him.

"Do it," he replied.

The dealer nodded and set the check on the table. As the man shuffled the cards for their game, Blackburn quietly ran the numbers and rules in his head. Fifty-two cards, four suits, thirteen cards for each suit per deck. All cards were face value, save for the ace, the king, the queen and jack. The ace could either go to eleven or one while the queen, king, and jack were worth ten. Closest one to twenty-one wins.

He and Junior would both play the dealer and whoever had the higher hand and won against the dealer would be considered the winner of the round. If the dealer beat them, it was considered a draw.

His eyes fell upon the mass of chips that the dealer set on the table and pushed to him and Junior to match the buy in that he used. Two million lien, which would add up to twenty thousand dollars back home. He still couldn't believe Winter trusted him with her money to pull this off, and it was because of that that he could not afford to get greedy. Once he and Junior had their chips, Blackburn grabbed a handful from his pile to place his opening bet.

Five hundred dollars, or in this case, fifty-six thousand lien. Junior was more conservative with his bet and only bet half of what he did.

The dealer slid them their cards and flipped his first card up to signal the start of the game.

Blackburn looked down at his hand. King of spades and four of diamonds. Hard fourteen. A look to his left to see Junior's hand and he relaxed when he saw the man was in the same boat as him with a hard fifteen. Ten of spades and five of hearts. His eyes then turned to the dealer. The man had a ten of hearts face up.

Both he and Junior had the option to hit, but it was risky. One high card is all it would take for them to bust and there was no telling what the dealer had for his face down card. He could surrender, but it would be an automatic forfeit of the round to Junior if he decided to stay and ended up winning.

He had no choice. His hand slid forward and his fingers tapped the table for a hit. When the dealer slid him his card and flipped it he almost cheered at his bold move. Six of clubs put him at twenty.

Junior signaled for a hit as well and his face quickly soured when he was hit with a nine of clubs. Bust. The dealer flipped his face down card and Blackburn grinned broadly. Eight of diamonds, he had to stay. The first round was his.

The dealer took Junior's chips to add to the large pile before matching the money Blackburn put in and slid it to him. He just had to win one more round for Junior to spill the information.

Once the table was cleared of cards, Blackburn eyed his pile again. This time he decided to throw in more money. One hundred thousand lien. His bold move seemed to spur Junior to take a chance as well. The man bet one hundred and fifty thousand lien. Tripling his bet from before to have a better gain.

The cards made their way to them again and Blackburn's brow creased as he looked at his hand. Hard seventeen. Not a good idea to hit since it had a high chance of a bust. With his mind made up, he sent a quick look to Junior. The man had a hard twenty. The dealer had a jack of hearts face up. Either way, he lost.

His fingers drew a line under his cards to signal a surrender and he watched as half of his chips were taken away by the dealer. The man then flipped his face down card to show a nine of diamonds. Hard nineteen. Junior took the round.

 _"Shit."_ He grimaced.

The smirk returned to Junior's face as he accepted the winnings and added his new chips to the large pile he head.

"Still liking your chances, kid?" Junior asked him.

"We're even and we got one round left if we don't have a draw," he answered the bearded man.

"There won't be a draw. This will be a three round game."

Blackburn said nothing as he leaned back in his chair while the dealer cleared the table. He had picked up a chip and rolled it between his fingers as he thought about his next move. He had broken even after the last round since he surrendered and lost his first winnings. No damage done to Winter's savings yet. The chances of a draw were possible, but they were slim.

His hand was about to push forward his next bet, but he stopped when he felt his pocket vibrate. He pulled out his scroll and looked at the message that Yang sent him.

"Hey Connor, I think you're about to have company."

His body stiffened and his free hand lingered near his blazer for a quick draw if it came down to it. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Junior looking at his scroll too as if perplexed.

The door to the room burst open and a bouncer came in holding a woman by the arm. The woman was wearing a black cocktail dress that showed a lot of leg and a fair amount of cleavage as it dipped down her chest. Her hair was black as night, tied into a neat bun with bangs framing her face.

"Sorry for the interruption, boss. This woman was causing a scene," the bouncer said.

"I was trying to find my friend!" The woman wrenched her arm free.

Blackburn watched the woman turn her gaze in his direction and her eyes lit up. She quickly hurried over to him and he rose a brow in surprise. What did this woman want with him?

"There you are!" She smiled giving him a quick hug.

He blinked dumbly and looked at the back of her head and sent a quick look back at Junior who had his arms crossed.

"Who are you?" Blackburn whispered.

The woman let go of him and looked into his eyes. Now that she was up close, he had to keep his jaw from falling in shock.

"Wait, Winter!?" He hissed.

"Who else would it be?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on the ship!"

He could only look at the woman's slate blue eyes as his mind rebooted. To see Winter go through such a drastic change in the span of a couple of hours was a sight to behold. He had grown so used to seeing her in her uniform and her sparring attire that he never noticed how much of a looker the young lieutenant was.

Winter's dress hugged her curves and they were more eye catching than they would have been in something more conservative. The dress fell to mid-thigh and he could see their toned fullness as her hip was cocked to the side. His eyes lingered for a brief moment at her chest before returning to her face. Her trademark snow white hair had been dyed a deep black and drew attention to her eyes. The light pink that dusted her cheeks broke him from his admiring state.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He asked again.

"I said that the last time I checked, I outranked you and you had no say in what I can and cannot do. If you don't like my decision, I believe you can go to hell," she repeated the answer he previously missed.

"Right…"

He still couldn't take his eyes off of Winter and she shifted a little bit under his gaze.

"Why are you staring?" She asked.

He shook his head and smiled back at her.

"No reason. You just look really good with black hair," he answered back.

Winter shifted shyly and her cheeks flushed. She mumbled something under her breath that he failed to catch, but he had to return his focus to the matter at hand. Junior had been eying the two of them since she interrupted their private game.

"You know this woman?" Junior asked.

"Yeah, I do. I told her to meet me here and she just showed up fashionably late, as usual," Blackburn replied, ignoring the sideways glare from Winter.

"I see. Well, we might as well liven it up back here. Women attend casinos with rich men all the time, so why should it be any different?"

Blackburn breathed a sigh of relief as he returned to the table and pulled out a chair for Winter to sit beside him. He and Junior each took their seats a second later and the dealer made his way to the bar to fetch them some drinks.

As they waited for the dealer to come back with their drinks and start the next round, Blackburn gave Winter the rundown of what had happened so far and the deal he made with Junior. She had been relatively pleased with how things had turned out.

"You know, some day you're going to screw up royally and I just hope I'm there to see it," Winter whispered to him.

Not one to be outdone with sharp wit, he sent her a small smirk.

"Well, you might see it in a second," he said.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he quickly turned his attention back to the table. Their drinks were before them and he brought his fresh glass of whiskey to his lips. This one did not have as harsh of a bite like the one in the bar, but rather a sweet and sour taste that danced on his tongue and left him eager for another sip.

Winter had a glass of red wine that she was enjoying silently. She crossed her legs and rested against her chair and watched him as he placed the same bet from the first round. He decided to play it safe again. Junior was feeling more confident after winning the last round and doubled his bet from his last winnings.

"Is he mad? Why bet so much when you can lose so easily?" Winter whispered.

"Because he's feeling confident and this is the last round. He feels he doesn't have anything to lose," he whispered back.

"Foolish if you ask me."

"And that's why you'd probably suck at gambling."

Winter merely rolled her eyes at the playful jab and took another sip from her glass. She watched as the cards were dealt, intrigued with the game.

Last round. He could not afford to make a mistake here. His eyes took in his cards and he grinned. Soft twenty. Ace of spades and nine of hearts. Junior had a hard thirteen with a queen of diamonds and three of clubs. He would hit. The dealer had a jack of spades for his face up.

Blackburn waved his hand over the table to stay. He watched Junior tap the table for a hit and he was dealt another card. The grin on his face fell into a thin line. Seven of hearts. Hard twenty. A draw. It was all dependent on the dealer.

The dealer flipped his card face down card and it revealed a five of diamonds. Hard fifteen, he had to draw again. The dealer pulled another card and Blackburn's face fell. Six of spades. Twenty-one.

He could only watch as the dealer took both his and Junior's winnings. The round ended in a draw, but at least he could enjoy the bitter look on Junior's face.

"I guess we're playing one more round," Junior said as he spared him a glance.

"Guess so." Blackburn took another sip of his whiskey.

He eyed the remaining money he had. He could continue to play it safe, or he could be risky and try to win the round and gain Winter some extra money for loaning it in the first place. There was still a high chance of a loss and if he did lose, Winter would kill him.

"Hey kid, you feeling lucky?" Junior asked him.

"Maybe. Why?" He replied smoothly.

"Let's make this a little more interesting with our bet. Our deal is still in place. You win, you get the information you want. I win, I get the money you bought into the game with."

"Right."

He could feel Winter's sharp gaze on the back of his head, but did not let it get to him.

"For this last hand we go all in. If you win, I'll give you double the amount you bought in with. If you lose, you double your buy in amount and get nothing from me," said Junior.

It was bait and he knew it. He swirled the remaining whiskey in his glass around and sat there silently. He brought the glass to his lips and swallowed the last of it. Winter's eyes were bearing into the back of his head to the point the he could have sworn they would burn through the front of his face.

"Deal." He nodded.

"What!?" Winter hissed.

Her hand closed like a vice grip around his bicep. When he met her eyes he almost burst into flames alone. She was livid and for good reason.

"Your money will be fine. We'll just go to plan B and force it out of him," he answered back simply.

"We are not instigating a fight!" She said in a low tone.

"I think we're going to get in a fight regardless."

He pulled out his scroll and showed Winter the latest message from Yang. According to her, she could see some more muscle showing up and they were lingering near the exits and outside the room. Junior had to have signaled for them shortly after their last round ended in a draw. He didn't want to lose any money or release information.

Winter only shook her head and sipped her wine again. After a long moment she finally agreed to foolish move and leaned forward on the table.

Blackburn texted Yang to be ready and for Coco and Velvet to watch for the police. Once he put his scroll back in his pocket, he pushed all of the chips he had forward and watched as Junior did the same. All or nothing.

The palms of his hands were sweaty and his heart thumped loudly in his chest as he watched the dealer slide him his first card. Queen of spades put him at ten. Then came Junior's card. Ace of hearts which would be valued depending on his second card. The dealer's face down was put next. It was his turn to get his second card.

He closed his eyes and silently prayed for something good. Two more cards came to the table as they went to Junior and the dealer. After mustering up his courage to look, he opened his eyes and he looked down at his final card. Ace of spades.

"Blackjack. Mister Blackburn wins," said the dealer.

Blackburn felt his cheeks perk up as a wide grin spread across his face. It was a ballsy move to agree to Junior's request and he was very lucky it played out the way it did. Not only did he win, but now he and Winter would be leaving with over four million lien. Double the amount she loaned him. From the corner of his eye he could see the young lieutenant staring at the cards with a gob smacked expression. She couldn't believe it either.

He got up from his seat at the table with Winter mimicking him. The dealer handed him the original check he gave and then another with Junior's signature on it. He did not miss the harsh glare from the bearded man as he turned to him.

"A deal's a deal. I want you to tell me everything you know about Banesaw," said Blackburn.

"Here's a little lesson for you, kid. Never trust a criminal," said Junior.

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

Winter was the first to act. She had shot forth and appeared in front of Junior who had no time to react. Her knee burrowed into his sternum and forced him to keel over. She then made a tight fist and punched him hard under the chin. The bearded man was launched from the ground and sent towards the back bar. He hit the counter with enough force to have part of it collapse under him where he remained in a daze.

The dealer made a run for it and disappeared out the door where the sound of fighting came to life.

Blackburn pulled out his M9 and hurried to Junior and pointed it directly at his head. When the man opened his eyes he didn't move a muscle. Winter soon joined him and looked ready to go a step further if needed.

"The White Fang had a courier that they used to send messages between them and Queen. Who is Queen and what connection does Banesaw have in all of this?" Blackburn asked.

Junior said nothing and it took a firm press of Winter's heel on his injured leg. The man's face twisted into one of discomfort and he let out a hiss.

"All right! All right! Look, I don't know who Queen is myself. All I know is that she has been the one keeping the White Fang on a tight leash because of their leader. The guy is very tenacious and aggressive," said Junior.

"Who is the leader of the White Fang? We know he goes by Lotus and that he uses Banesaw as his field commander to do the work?" Blackburn continued with the questions.

"Again, I don't know! All I know is that Banesaw is his muscle and that he is preparing for something big coming around the Vytal Festival."

Blackburn and Winter shared a quick look at that last bit. Based on everything they had gathered from dossiers and the raids on the White Fang compounds, there was something big coming up fast. Atlas intelligence analysts spent hours sifting through the information they had and whatever Shadow had given them and had drawn their belief that the Vytal Festival was a target for attack, but it was a long stretch.

Junior had confirmed that it would be around the time of the Vytal Festival, but the information on how and what day was still a mystery. The White Fang were daring in their attacks, but they weren't suicidal. Attacking during the Vytal Festival where there are so many trained Huntsmen was stupid, especially with Atlas serving as a security force.

"Preparing how? What will they do during the Vytal Festival?" Blackburn asked.

"I couldn't give you an honest answer," Junior said with a shake of his head. "Personally I'd say they're walking into a death trap that could escalate to another war if they attacked during the Vytal Festival. If they do that, they probably have inside help somehow."

"Do you know that for a fact?" Winter pressed her heel down on him again.

"I just said I didn't!" He glared up at her. "I'm being practical here! Whenever criminals or rebels take on competition or armies stronger than them, they exploit their weaknesses! The last place Huntsmen would expect to look would be internally!"

No different than guerilla warfare. Blackburn spared a quick look over his shoulder to the door and could hear the fighting still taking place. His scroll had been vibrating through his and Winter's questioning of Junior and he was sure that it was Coco and Velvet telling him to bail.

They had to wrap this up fast.

"Do you know about any hideouts Banesaw would be using to lay low to plan anything? The last White Fang compound he was at was raided and he escaped with a lot of stolen SDC property using a train," said Blackburn.

Junior's face twisted in pain again as he tried to sit up against the remains of the counter. He gave a curt nod and hissed in pain.

"From what I know, Banesaw has two locations that could stockpile all of the SDC supplies they've stolen. One in Atlas and one in Mistral. The supplies hits the ports and is transported by trains to the hideouts. You want to find him, follow the tracks," said Junior.

"Which ports? There's more than one along the coasts of Atlas and Mistral!" Blackburn shouted.

"Snowpeak Bay and Crystal Harbor! There's a railroad that leads from each one to remote locations around the kingdom!"

Blackburn nodded and was about to put his pistol away, but a look from Winter kept him from doing so.

The woman turned her icy eyes back to Junior and glared down at him.

"What do you know about an attack on Jacques Schnee's SDC Banquet?" Winter asked.

Blackburn had almost forgotten about that. It was something that Shadow revealed to them as a rumor that he felt was crazy because there was nothing to support it. It threw Winter for a loop when she heard it, but she could see the reasoning behind it despite the unlikeliness. She had kept it in the back of her mind and now was a good a time as any to inquire about it to try and figure out if it was something that would take place.

"I heard something from a mercenary that likes to come here. One of his jobs included securing some identification and supplies for some White Fang members that plan to assassinate Jacques Schnee," said Junior

The corner of Winter's mouth twitched and a calm breath escaped her nose. She nodded and finally took her foot off of Junior's leg before turning on her heel and moving to the door.

Blackburn nodded at Junior and lowered his gun before pulling out his scroll. Just like he thought, he had ten different messages. Several were from Coco, but some were from Yang, and each of them were saying the same thing.

"Cops are here, get out now!" Was Coco's last one.

"Connor, me, Fox and Yatsuhashi are gone. We took the alternate route and are heading to the park!" Yang's text was sent three minutes ago.

Good. At least the rest of the team got out in one piece. Now it was just him and Winter that needed to make a break for it.

"Let's go!" He pocketed his scroll and made his way to the closest window.

* * *

Two bullets fired from his pistol and shattered the window to allow him and Winter to escape from the cops that were swarming the main room. He tucked his gun back in his blazer once they got outside and he led Winter down a side alley. Heading out the main route would lead straight to the cops and they had a perimeter set up by the club's entrance.

It was a quick detour that curved around the block and back to the main street. They hurried across the alley to where Blackburn hid Shadow's car and climbed inside. He reversed out of the alley and peered over his shoulder to see some cops making their way to their cars. They had been spotted.

"Tighten that," said Blackburn as he pulled on the strap and fasten Winter in.

"I'm capable of doing that myself!" She answered as she swatted his hand away

"Hang on to something."

He shifted gears and eased on the clutch and the car took off with a screech of its tires. His hands were fast as he turned the wheel with pinpoint control and continued to speed. Far behind them in the rearview mirror he could see a couple of sets of lights flashing. They could not afford to get caught unless they wanted to face the wrath of Ozpin and Ironwood.

His mind had not prepared to deal with a getaway from the cops since it was only in place to avoid them with early warning. Thankfully the pressure the situation brought was enough to spur his mind into overdrive and think of another fallback plan. The freeway led out of town and it was only three miles away. If he could reach it he could outrun the cops and use the other vehicles as obstacles to make it a reality.

"Call Coco and let her know we won't be regrouping with them. All we'll do is lead the cops there," said Blackburn as he turned the wheel after shifting again.

"Where are we going then?" Winter brought her scroll to her ear.

"Out of the city. At least until the cops stop searching for us."

He turned the wheel again and soared down the road. A mile and a half to go until they reached the freeway. As much as he enjoyed racing and speeding like a maniac, he hated being confined to the city. Too many obstacles and a lot of potential to hurt someone.

Flashing lights came from the intersection up ahead. A couple of cop cars had moved to cut them off and slow them down with spike strips. There was another side street ahead. He slammed on the brakes and shifted again. Another sharp turn that sent the car into a wide drift before it stopped and took off again.

The road was smaller and had cars parked on both sides of the street leaving him with little room for error. He pressed lightly down on the brake and could feel his hands growing sweatier by the second. The road curved right ahead and he followed it carefully and after they cleared the bend he could see another connecting alley across the main road.

He gunned the vehicle without a second thought and when they hit the end of the alley, they hit a small dip in the ground that sent the car into the air. The tires didn't touch the ground until they landed in the next alley and he had to fight the steering wheel as the car threatened to spin out from behind. He regained control and righted the car in time to follow the bend of the road that would connect back to the road they trailed from.

They broke the alleyway and he jerked the wheel hard left. The tires of the car screeched and his hand was fast with the shift. The engine revved loudly and the exhaust thundered beneath the car as it roared like beast.

He spared Winter a quick look and almost burst out laughing. Her hands had a death grip on the arm rest and the seat. If that wasn't enough, her feet were pressed to the floor firmly in a desperate attempt to keep her in place.

"You okay over there?" He asked.

"Just drive," she uttered out.

He chuckled again and turned right and began to make his way to the bridge. Almost there. Cross the bridge, go around the park and on to the ramp. He turned on to the bridge a minute later and gunned it.

The car left the roar as it hit another dip and flew into the air. It landed hard and he could hear the metal creak as the suspension absorbed the landing. Nothing like old school muscle cars.

Far ahead was the entrance to the park, and it was the very same one they were to regroup at. He turned the wheel again and the car drifted once more to the next road and again when he pulled hard right. The last street that ran along the park and to the freeway. He honked the horn as they drove by the park. He didn't see any of their team as they drove by, but he was sure that they were there.

With another pull of the wheel, he guided the car left in a wide turn and shot up the ramp and on to the freeway. The lights from the cop cars were not far behind, but there were only two vehicles following them now. Ahead of him were dozens of cars and trucks that would allow him a chance to finish outrunning the cops.

"We're going to lose the cops here. You ready?" He grinned at Winter.

"I've been waiting for you to lose them for a while now." She rolled her eyes.

Keeping an eye on the rearview mirror for the pursuing cops, Blackburn pulled up behind the trailer of a semi. He waited until the bumper was about to make contact before pulling around the side of the truck. The car picked up speed from airflow and soared by the semi and he cut back in front of it a second later.

There was an exit four miles up the freeway that he could use if he pulled far enough ahead.

Blackburn repeated the process again and again. He'd pull up behind a car and if he could pass it on the side, he would fly by them a second later like he was shot out of a canon. It was reckless, but it was a passion of his. Something about racing got him fired up. Whether it was the adrenaline that came with speeding down paved roads against another person or proving his skill, it always filled him excitement.

He got into the idea of racing after spending a couple of years working in his grandfather's shop back in Piedmont. It started as a simple job that he took up to help keep himself out of trouble and to earn money for his own leisure, but it became something more. He would see dozens of cars come in every week that he and his grandpa would fix along with his father if he had spare time. They would put in hours to work on one car to fix whatever was wrong with it and be well paid by whoever brought it in.

One of their frequent customers was a guy in his twenties that would come to them every time he needed a part replaced or a tune up. He would do street races out in the country and after Blackburn and his grandfather fixed his car for the third time, he offered to take Blackburn out to the spot where he and his friends raced. The speed, the sound, the last second wins. It just clicked with him.

He spent more time in the shop with his grandpa and adapted a green thumb in terms of fixing cars. As a result, his grandfather brought in his old GTO Judge so they could restore it. It took them a whole year to fix it up, but once it was good to go, Blackburn took it out and raced it constantly, earning a lot of respect and praise for the care he had for the old muscle car.

The exit was almost upon them and the wall of cars he managed to pass served as a block. No flashing lights were behind them and he smirked triumphantly. They were home free.

He shifted gears again to slowly ease into the turn after getting off the freeway. He turned right and continued down the road where he could see large open fields and some white lights far out in the distance that signaled a farmstead.

"Well, we lost the cops." He grinned at Winter.

"Fantastic. So, what do we do now?" Winter finally relaxed in her seat.

"I say we find a gas station to fill up, grab a sixer and chill."

Winter looked at him for a long moment before she shook her head with a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Fine, but I'm picking the beer," she said with a small shrug.

He rolled his eyes and gave the now raven haired lieutenant a goofy salute.

"Yes ma'am, Lieutenant Schnee!" He put his hand back on the shifter.

"Just shut up and drive, Connor." Her shoulders shook with light laughter.

* * *

 **That's the chapter folks! Hope you all enjoyed it. Believe it or not it was supposed to be a little longer with one more bit between Blackburn and Winter, but I decided to save that for next time since I felt it would be better to serve as a chapter of its own. On that note, all you Winter fanboys out there, I hope you enjoyed Winter's little makeover during the mission (I always thought she'd look sexy with black hair). Thanks again for the support! Check out the statements below and I'll see y'all next time!**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next chapter update is scheduled for 1/12/18**

 **2.) The poll for the girl with better romantic chemistry for Blackburn is still up and going. We had over fifteen voters since the last time and while both girls have a good amount, Winter is still dominating at 24 to Coco's 13. I will leave it up for this chapter and the next before I close it with the final results, so get in there and vote if you haven't yet!**

 **3.)** **Check out my story "Butterfly Effect". It's a RWBY SI/OC story that will have realistic progression and development.**

 **4.) Kind of irrelevant, but might as well throw it in there as a fun fact. When the story is done I will have a forum for it that will serve as a behind the scenes bit for those who are interested as well as a soundtrack list that follows the story. This chapter in particular I Nickelback's "Animals" in my writing the getaway.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **OP: Observation Post**

 **Review Responses:**

 **zachshadrack: Well, I'm happy to see some people enjoy my sense of humor. Glad you liked the omake.**

 **Drake D Zero: Yeah, it's a shame. I figure you're referring to Cinder as "worst girl" in your note here.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: Thanks for the review! Ah, I see what you mean now. Well, that's a good sign that you felt that Blackburn and Winter's chemistry has been written well enough to think it'd be improper to have a potential change of a romantic interest.**

 **Hellwyrm: Thanks for the review, dude. You learn how to do that when put on the spot and the more confident you sound, the higher chance it has to lead to a dismissal or lesser punishment. You are right about the drill sergeant story. One of the officers I was at the schoolhouse with was enlisted before commissioning and he told me that story about his drill sergeant with the speech impediment and it just sounded like the funniest thing in the world. So I'm paying homage to it.**


	31. Home

**Here with the update. Thanks again for the continued support, everybody. It means a lot.**

 **Let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Winter brought her first bottle of beer up to her lips and let the crisp beverage shoot down her throat making her shiver lightly. To her left, Blackburn had shed his blazer and unbuttoned the top of his shirt as he relaxed with his own beer. It had been about half an hour since they evaded the cops and refilled at a gas station four miles away from the exit they used. She decided to go with his suggestion by waiting for the air to clear with a few drinks. And as she silently reflected on it, the more it seemed like a great choice. Then again, it could be the alcohol talking.

They had taken refuge deep in a large field by using a side trail from the road. It offered a great view of the countryside that she had not been too familiar with. Spending most of her time in Atlas kept her from branching out to see the other kingdoms with her own eyes.

Her eyes slowly swept the endless fields of growing crops that were getting ready for harvest. Massive stalks of crop towered over her and resembled a sea of golden brown and bright green. The sky was clear and the stars shone brightly, surrounding the shattered moon like a blanket. In the distance she could hear a vehicle go down the road and even some frogs that croaked nearby from the river. The only thing that was a little off putting was the smell of feces that met her whenever a light breeze came, but other than that, it was a welcome change of scenery. Beautiful, even.

"Man, it's been ages since I did this," Blackburn said from her side.

"What? Drink?" She offered back cleverly.

He chuckled and she saw his cheeks perk up and his dimples caught her eye. Did he always have those?

"No, not that." He shook his head. "Talking about home. Back in high school, me and my buddies would race up and down roads in the middle of the country and just pull into some random field to drink beer we bought with our fake IDs. Sometimes we'd even go skinny dipping in the lake."

She nearly spat out her beer in surprise as she looked back at her friend. How could he say something like that so casually? Her face burned hot just at the thought of it. She'd be way too embarrassed to do something like that. It was hard enough to put on a swimsuit for a dip in the pool.

"Why would you do that?" She asked.

He shrugged back with a light grin.

"Why not? We were in good company. Just us and our girls," he replied back.

"Wait, even your girlfriends got in on that? Weren't they embarrassed?" She asked, still surprised at the revelation.

"Yup. The first time we did it was weird, but we loosened up after that."

Blackburn chuckled as he took another swig from his bottle. The smirk on his lips grew just a little bit.

"It was pretty funny because we'd be able to tell who was pitching a tent," he continued.

Winter only shook her head and felt her face burn hotter at his carefree release of information. Out of curiosity that she would undoubtedly curse later, she turned back to him.

"How exactly would you be able to tell?" Her face burned again.

Blackburn looked back at her for a long minute and his grin grew.

"They wouldn't get out of the water." He laughed again.

Winter pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. This was easily one of the most outlandish conversations they had. She had to endure some teasing from him in the past regarding her limited intimacy with men and he even poked fun at her for being a prude. For their talk to go from a field to skinny dipping in a lake, it was a sign for her to shift the conversation elsewhere to avoid being embarrassed any further.

She hummed under her breath and sipped her beer again, returning her eyes out to the fields. She could see some white and orange lights far in the distance, just jutting over some of the crops.

"Those are barns way out there. Some of the most hardworking people you'll ever meet. Proud to say I'm one of them," he said with a puff of his chest.

"You lived on a farm?" She asked back.

He shook his head.

"No, I didn't. Worked on one just outside of Piedmont when I was growing up. Made me into an outdoors kid," he replied.

She remained quiet as she listened to his words. This wasn't the first time she heard him talk about his life and it would not be the last. What got her attention was the way he went on about the simple things in life. How working such poorly viewed jobs seemed to bring him joy. The satisfaction of working a job where you could create something with your hands. Even doing things like hunting, fishing, racing or attending a concert or sports event. Not once did she see the smile or light fade from his eyes as he reflected on them in their talks.

Maybe it was because she had a completely different lifestyle than his when she was growing up? Sure, they had a couple of similarities with their fathers, but other than that, they both led two different upbringings. Coming from a family of wealth, she would admit that she was spoiled up until the day of enlisting. She had been preened for perfection when she was the original heiress. Everything ranging from eating, posture, speaking, to the way she carried herself. She would fall into routine with them when she was younger as a means to appease her father and his views had poisoned any chance of opinion.

The upper class found the middle to low class citizens pitiable, even pathetic. The few that managed to make their way forward in the world and make a name for themselves were welcomed, but those that couldn't were mocked. People that were no different than them that had to work for everything that they had and provide for their families. They may not have had a luxurious life, but they got the best out of it in the end.

Just thinking about it made Winter's stomach twist in shame and she shifted uncomfortably on the hood of the car.

If she hadn't joined the military, she'd be no different than her father and his cohorts. Her mind had been opened and forced to leave any form of nobility and superiority behind in order to succeed. It was one of the best decisions of her life.

"Don't know about you, but I could use some music," said Blackburn.

He pulled out his scroll and let it sync with the radio of the car. After a couple of moments the speakers came to life, bringing with them a riff she remembered after hearing all of the songs on the man's scroll a couple of times.

"Pearl Jam?" She asked him with a smile.

He grinned back and nodded.

"Yeah. Even Flow."

She nodded back and watched him fiddle around on his scroll again. The tone of the song changed, but she recognized this one, too. It was a different group.

"Soundgarden," she answered.

"Kind of easy with Cornell's vocals," Blackburn dismissed with a shake of his head.

"To be fair, I haven't heard of any of these groups until recently. I'm on a roll now."

He shrugged again after sipping his beer and offered her a sideways smirk as he changed the song again.

"How about this one? One beer chug says you don't get it." Blackburn taunted her.

A taunt and a challenge that she would not back down from. She sipped her beer and focused again as he changed the song. When it came back on, her lips twitched. This would be tricky. The sound was similar to two groups she heard on his endless playlist.

"You got five seconds," said Blackburn.

Time was running out. Finally she heard the opening vocal which was a high pitched "Oh." She turned back to him with a grin of her own.

"Greta Van Fleet, Safari Song," she said.

Blackburn looked very impressed and clapped his hands. He then tilted his head back and chugged the rest of the beer in his bottle before setting it in one of the empty slots.

"Nice job. Didn't think you'd get that one," he said as he grabbed another beer.

"I almost said Led Zeppelin," she admitted with a laugh.

She took the scroll from him and sifted through it after finishing the last of her beer. It was only fair to test him, even though it would be a losing battle. The man most likely heard every song on the scroll to the point he could identify who the group would be just from sound alone. Taking the chance, she found one and looked back at him.

He rose his brow and smirked back at her.

"At least try, LT. Three Doors Down, Kryptonite," he said.

Taking the penalty, she gulped down the beer as fast as she could and let out a hacking cough after doing so. No matter how hard she tried, it was something she could not do. Maybe with practice, but it was too unpleasant in the long run. Beer was supposed to be enjoyable, not wasteful.

"Perhaps that was too easy. Let's try this one," she said as she changed to another tune.

Back and forth their little game went. Although she started off strong, she started struggling to name the group. Blackburn had been kind enough to reduce her requirements to just name the band instead of both the song and group. While their game went on, the pack of beer that they had got smaller and down to only two bottles left. An equal split.

Her body felt warm, but that was probably a mix of alcohol and the humid weather that was causing her to sweat a little bit.

"Okay, last one for you," said Blackburn.

She nodded and twisted off the top of her last bottle. The second she heard the first couple of notes, her eyes widened.

"Chris Cornell, Josephine." She smiled.

"That's right." He nodded back as he got ready to turn it off.

"Wait, leave it on. I love this song."

Like she told him the other day, she had listened to all of the songs on his scroll and only downloaded the groups she enjoyed. Vocals were always a key factor for her in a song since she found each one unique. Not to mention it reminded her of what Weiss was capable of doing. Her little sister had a powerful voice that was capable of reducing hardened men to tears if she used it to its fullest. She herself had been close to tears listening to her sing. It was an incredible talent and one that she somewhat envied her little sister for.

This song in particular was filled with passion and the man's voice reached an incredible range.

"I love this one, too. One of his best," said Blackburn as he opened the last bottle of beer.

"It has a timeless feel to it," she added her opinion.

"Believe it or not, it took him twelve years to write this song. It was supposed to be released on an earlier album, but he waited to do it again because he didn't like it."

"Really?"

Blackburn nodded and brought his bottle down from his lips.

"He wrote it for his wife," he said.

That explained it. The song was a message to a lover, that much she could tell. Although she was unsure of what it sounded like originally and she was not too familiar with the man's music, she was certain he made the right decision to release it the way he did.

"It must be something to find someone you feel that strongly about to do something like that," Winter said under her breath.

"Yeah. It is," said Blackburn.

From the corner of her eye she saw the smile fall from his face as it turned into a frown. A distant look came to his eyes as if he was lost in a memory.

Winter silently wondered what drew her friend's attention away from their talk and all but deflated his mood. His shift in demeanor came immediately after her last remark. It was her fault that she caused that to happen, even though it was unintentional. She was certain that he was reflecting on a past lover given the reaction. It took a moment, but she vaguely remembered coming across a photo on Blackburn's scroll with him holding a very attractive girl in his arms.

She grimaced into the top of her bottle and took another drink.

The silence that fell between them was filled by the chirps of crickets and the ending notes of the song as it began to fade out. Winter shifted on the hood of the car again and snuck another glance at Blackburn.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything bad," she said to him.

He shook his head and offered a small smile in return.

"No, it's okay. I'm just getting hung up over something that happened months ago. It's not your fault."

Blackburn shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh before drinking from his bottle again.

"What was she like?" Winter spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Blackburn looked back at her.

"Your girlfriend. What was she like? What kind of girl do you like that made you want to be with her?"

She ignored the flutter in her stomach and kept her gaze on the man beside her.

Winter was not ignorant of relationships or the concept of one, but she never had one with another man in her life. Sure, she had friendships with other officers and those that she worked with, but she never actively pursued anything romantic. After witnessing the sham of a marriage between her parents, her views towards it became jaded. Even more so when her father tried to set her up with one man after the next. Never in her best interest of course, but all it did was sully her perception of dating in general.

Perhaps it was unfair to isolate any potential men that had genuine interest in her and put them in the same pool as those that sought wealth. It was a bitter reminder as she dwelled on her mother's relationship with her father. The woman used to be a strong and well respected Huntress next in line to inherit the Schnee Dust Company, but life has a way of making things come crashing down.

In light of her grandfather's deteriorating health, her mother agreed to marry for the sake of the company's survival after it was entrusted to Jacques who had potential to make it better than before. Before she knew it, her mother's career was gone and she had been reduced to a mere shell of what she strove to be. Becoming a mother of three that led her to the painful realization that her marriage was nothing but a cage that she was bound to because of a greedy man.

Relationships were supposed to be two ways, not one overshadowing the other. After seeing her mother's fall from grace, Winter vowed not to fall into that same pit. It sounded like a lonely life, but it would take something great to convince her otherwise.

What did Blackburn find attractive in a woman?

The frown on his face was replaced with a more thoughtful look as his eyes stared up into the starry sky.

"Well, I only had one girlfriend in my life. We were together for four years," he began as he lightly scratched his stubble.

"That's great for a first relationship, isn't it?" She asked.

He nodded back.

"Could be considered a miracle by todays dating standards."

Blackburn sipped his beer again before he continued talking.

"Well, for me, I like my women strong and independent. One that's not afraid to go after what she wants. One who's goal and family oriented. It'd be a hell of a bonus if she was a mean cook, too."

Winter hummed back in acknowledgement and took another drink. Her fingers lightly tapped the bottle in a slow rhythm. It was a small tick that she had whenever she got anxious or hesitant with something. She perked up and returned her focus to him.

"You mean to tell me that a woman's appearance doesn't matter to you?" She challenged with a wry smirk.

He rolled his eyes and smirked back at her.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't. I'll be honest, appearance matters to me. Just like it does for most people. You want to have someone with a face you can wake up to seeing. I mean, I sure as fuck don't want to wake up to some girl that looks like a lagoon creature in the morning," he answered back.

Winter had to hold back a laugh. It was a shallow statement, but playful at the same time.

"For example, you'd be the kind of girl I can wake up to in the morning. So long as she's got a beautiful face and takes care of herself while filling that list I told you a second ago, she's a keeper in my eyes. That's exactly what Alison was to me."

She felt her eyes widen briefly and her heart skipped a beat. There was no hesitation in his answer and it was completely sincere. She tried to summon her words, but found she couldn't. The shock from his answer was enough to keep her in stunned silence and bring a small flush to her cheeks.

That had been the second time he managed to do that to her tonight with the first being at the club when he was sizing her up. It was a feeling of warmth and serenity that she was subconsciously relishing in, but at the same time, it scared her. This was the first time a man gave her that feeling and it was also the very same man who she would go so far to say had become her best friend.

"What about you, Winter?" He asked.

"Pardon me?" She found her voice again.

"What do you look for in a man? I know I give you a hard time about your dating life, but you've gotta' have your own standards, right?"

She swallowed lightly as he stared back at her and she turned her gaze down to the hood of the car. He wasn't wrong with that. Back in Atlas Academy she had been included in some of the conversations some of her friends had about the men in the school that ranged from tame what ifs to raunchy fantasies, the latter of which she avoided at all times.

"Well…." She struggled to find her words. "I suppose my ideal man is one who can challenge me and push to me to be better than I am and sees me as an equal. Someone who is strong, confident, brave and willing to do anything to protect what he values."

She shifted again feeling a little more relieved after giving her own opinion on the matter.

"You're in luck. It may take time, but you'll find the guy who fits your insane standards," said Blackburn with a small grin.

His retort made her face contort in mock anger and she gave him a light glare back. Here she was being open and vulnerable and he takes it to poke fun at her. He had a great sense of humor that she could play off of, but she was not going to let him get away with it that easily.

She brought her hand back and backslapped the side of his shoulder and got a laugh out of him.

"Okay, that's another thing. Domestic abuse is not ideal in a relationship, young padawan. It's only acceptable if you and your boy are going for a kinky Mister and Misses Smith vibe," he replied with a shake of his head.

Winter blinked and cocked her head.

"Mister and Misses Smith?" She quizzically asked.

Blackburn merely waved it aside.

"It's a movie," he answered back.

Winter shook her head and laughed lightly under her breath. She tilted her head back and took another long sip from her bottle. Silence fell between the two of them again and they quietly enjoyed each other's company as they continued staring at the horizon.

"I'm going to miss this," said Blackburn.

"Miss what?" Winter asked.

"This. Remnant, teaching kids to be Huntsmen, training with you."

Her brow furrowed in confusion at his words. Their talk was taking yet another turn and by the sound of it, it was more morbid.

"Why are you going to miss it?" She asked him.

Blackburn drank again and licked his lips as the taste danced on them.

"Well I need to get back home at some point, Winter. This has been an experience I won't trade anything for, but I have people that need me back home now more than ever. I still have to get back to the fight I left behind and I have men to take care of now that Sergeant Carlson's gone," he explained.

Winter vaguely remembered his convoluted and wild story to how he came to Remnant in the first place, dismissing it at first as him being delusional from combat stress. Coming here as a result from getting blown up by an explosive was something that sounded like the hook of a weak plotline to some book or movie. Of course she realized that he was not lying after she spent more time with him and after seeing physical evidence firsthand.

Blackburn had been quiet about the whole thing since that night, but it was clear that he was dwelling on it rather than talking about it with someone. It wasn't healthy to bottle up thoughts like that and she found herself a little irritated at the fact he kept something like that buried. His pride may have had a part in his decision to stay silent, but maybe he also felt it would come off as burdening someone else with his troubles.

"But don't you remember what you said? You don't even know if you're dead or alive or if this is all just in your head," she said, hitting him with his own words from that night.

"I know what I said, but that doesn't change my goal. Sergeant Carlson's gone now and it's my job to keep the squad together and the only way to do that is to get back as soon as I can," he said in return.

She shook her head again and her eyes grew sharp.

"So you're just going to up and leave everything here behind like that?" She challenged.

He paused and let out a sigh.

"Don't phrase it like that, okay? It's not that I want to leave, but it's a matter of priorities and I still have my own life to live. I can't stay here when I have commitments back home and I can't trade my old life for this one."

"Then how do you plan to get back? It's not like you can open some door and go!" She retorted.

"I don't know how I'd get back, but I've been talking to Glynda and Ozpin about it for a while now!"

Winter's hands clenched into fists and a scowl marred her face as she glared at Blackburn.

"I wasn't going to leave you guys without warning. I would have told you eventually, but not until I figured out a way to get home," he continued.

A sharp breath left her nostrils and she bit back another retort. Still stubborn as always. It was a flaw of his that she admired, but outright hated at the same time. She herself was just as stubborn as he was and she knew what came with it whenever they both had a disagreement, much like they were having now.

It was something she thought nothing of after that night, but now that she heard him say it, she wanted to stay as far away from the conversation as possible. She didn't want to talk about him leaving. Not after their friendship had come this far. Losing him would hurt and it would be similar to the loss of her men that fell under her command.

It was something she did not handle well and continued to struggle with as a soldier. She knew she had to remain strong and overcome this challenge in order to grow, but it was difficult. Loss was painful and it was something that she feared ever since Sergeant Silva and Lieutenant Burns suffered their fates under her orders.

"You should have told me about this," she said after calming down.

"I didn't want to bother you about it. You've got more than enough on your plate as it is," said Blackburn.

She looked back at him and met his eyes. Her bottle made a small thump on the hood as she set it down. Quick as a flash, her hand found its mark on his cheek. The force of the slap seemed to surprise him as his head snapped forward from the strength of it.

"You told me I could talk to you about anything and I told you the same thing, Connor," she said as she lowered her hand.

"I know, but…" he tried to counter back.

"Don't think for a second that I don't have time for you, because I do. I will make time for you if it comes down to it, but you have to meet me halfway."

Blackburn said nothing and rubbed his red cheek to sooth it.

"You are my responsibility, too. I want you to feel comfortable to tell me everything like I do to you. So don't you dare say you didn't want to bother me. I don't want to hear that from you again," said Winter.

He only nodded back.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay." She smiled softly.

She picked up her bottle again and swirled the contents of the drink. It had warmed up since she last drank from it and it fizzed lightly as it bubbled from the swirl. She brought it to her lips and took a long gulp of it and shook her head as her spine tingled.

"Tell you what," Blackburn spoke up. "If this isn't all in my head and I am really here and I find a way back, let's make a deal."

Winter glanced back at him as she waited for him to continue. She wanted nothing more than to change the subject, but it seemed as though she would have to endure it a little longer.

"If I find a way back and it allows me to come and go as I please, the next time you have some leave time to burn, let's meet up in Oklahoma City. I'll show you around the states. We can go to ballgames, concerts, beaches, amusement parks. Hell, I'll even take you up north and show you how to hunt and fish."

Her fingers closed around her bottle tighter as he hit her with that. There was no guarantee that he had a way back. Even if there was a way for him to get back, what were the chances of something like that happening? It sounded more like a one way trip.

Instead, she shifted her thoughts to the potential things she could experience if there was a slim chance that was a reality. Mulling over it replaced the negative thoughts in her head and filled them with warmer and more appealing ones.

Being able to experience just a handful of those with Blackburn would be more than enough to make her happy. A mere taste of a different lifestyle from her own was something that caught her interest and excited her. Going on a hunt in the woods in the bitter cold or even going on a lake to fish sounded great.

"Deal." She smiled.

She finished the contents in her bottle and set it back in the now empty case. Blackburn finished his a second later and wound his arm back and let the bottle fly. The bottle whooshed through the air and it shattered in the dark of the tree line a few seconds later.

Winter let out a stretch and felt her shoulder pop in doing so. Her bottom was sore from sitting on the hood of the car for so long.

"So, what should we do now?" She asked.

There was another long pause and this time she saw Blackburn's eyes twinkle mischievously.

"There's a river over there." He pointed beyond the tree line.

"Your point?" She raised a brow back.

"I'm not opposed to skinny dipping."

Just like that, the color returned to her face as her cheeks burned red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. He truly had no shame and he only laughed as she swatted the side of his arm. Try as she might, the scowl on her face slowly curved up in a smile before she burst out into laughter.

"Take me back to the ship, you pig!" She got swung her legs off the car.

Blackburn tossed their case of beer into the grass nearby, grabbed his blazer and got in the car. He let it roar to life and he synced his scroll up to the console to allow music to play again.

When the music started to play, Winter noticed Blackburn perk up and a grin of disbelief formed on his lips.

"Aw, man! I forgot I had this one on here!" He turned the volume up.

The music that met her ears was not the heavy or groovy riffs of a guitar, but more of a beat that one could dance to. It was a surprising change of pace, but definitely not unwelcome. What she realized was that she didn't remember hearing it when she had his scroll. Maybe she had, but it was hard to keep track of a playlist that was over three days long.

Blackburn started bobbing his head to the beat and his mouth moved in sync with the lyrics. He then pointed at her and continued his pantomime and a snort escaped her.

"What is this song?" She asked.

"We're getting old school up in here, LT. It was popular when I was a kid," said Blackburn.

"You didn't answer my question."

The car turned and the tires screeched on the pavement as it shot down the road. Blackburn smiled back and paused it long enough to answer her.

"Ride With Me by Nelly. It's got a good groove to it," said Blackburn.

"I see," said Winter as she sat back in her seat.

"You only got one job, Winter. Sing the chorus with me and I'll take care of the rest."

She nodded back and once he pointed out the chorus to her, he started the song again. He opened up the rap and she soon followed suit with the intro. The car was filled with nothing but a beat that anyone could appreciate along with the voices of two friends as they attempted to sing along.

Even as the city lights came back into view from the highway, the smile did not leave Winter's face as she continued to play along.

* * *

Banesaw's heavy footsteps echoed around the office as he slowly paced the room. He and Adam had just finished hearing a report from two of their members that potentially put their upcoming plan in jeopardy.

Perry and Deery had come back from Vale a little over an hour ago from Junior's club. While they were there, a scuffle broke out between the bouncers and a group of Huntsmen that were lying low. Although the Huntsmen escaped, they managed to uncover their plans about Jacques Schnee's SDC banquet through Junior. It was something the man made note of for later when he eventually paid the club owner a visit, but now they had to make a decision.

Their only option was to go through with the plan to try and assassinate the Schnee patriarch. It ran the chance of not only escalating to a large scale conflict, but it also had the high chance of drawing a large amount of Atlas ships back in preparation for any threat that could break out as backlash. The recall of ships would lessen the security that was placed on Vale and that hurt Queen's plan just a bit with what she had in store. Atlas technology played a big part in the plan to allow for more devastation, but if half of it got recalled, they would need manpower from another source to match the damage that they could cause.

"And you're sure about this?" Banesaw asked.

"Yes, sir!" Perry nodded back curtly.

"Damn it."

He looked back at Adam who leaned against the wooden table calmly. The man hadn't said a word since the two recruits came to them and Banesaw wondered what his superior was thinking.

"No matter how we view it, the mission is compromised. Atlas will make their next move by heightening security at the banquet. All we can do is follow through with the plan," said Adam.

The young leader growled lightly and pushed himself off the table to walk towards the desk. He picked up his scroll and looked down at it for a long minute before turning back to them.

"We need to let her know so we can make the necessary adjustments to pull this off. In the meantime, I want you to find some extra volunteers to go on the mission and revise the plan," said Adam.

Banesaw nodded back and pointed for the door. It opened a second later and Deery vanished with Perry to carry out their orders.

"If we go through with this plan, we run the risk of starting another war between Faunus and humans," he said.

"I understand. And I don't care," Adam replied. "It's not like we have much of a choice with what Cinder is capable of doing. We either die by her hand or die achieving our goal."

Banesaw grunted back and chewed the inside of his lip. He would follow Adam's orders to the letter because he was loyal to him, but he had some reservations of his own. The man was not the leader of the White Fang, but their field commander. Sienna Khan was the one who called the shots and she was unaware of the situation they had gotten into. If she were to find out what they were planning with Cinder, she would be livid and may even kill them herself.

She was the one who suggested violence where violence was necessary, but something like this that led to the possibility of a war, she would not stand for it. Something that he knew Adam viewed as a weakness of their leader. She was strong in her own right, but not enough to take drastic measures like the man before him.

"If Sienna finds out about this…" he began to speak.

"I will deal with Sienna." Adam's tone was firm. "In the meantime, do your goddamn job and make sure we can accomplish our task."

Banesaw nodded back and departed the room to make amendments to the plan they had in place.

Once Banesaw was gone, Adam pulled his scroll opened and dialed for the woman he wanted nothing more than to run his blade through. Her sultry voice met his ears after a few rings.

"What is the problem, Adam?" Cinder asked.

"Shadow broke and gave Junior up to Atlas," he answered back.

He could almost feel the woman's narrowed stare through the line itself.

"What proof do you have of that?" She dug for more.

"Two of my men were at Junior's club tonight. A small team of Huntsmen were there and managed to pry information from him. They know about our plans for the SDC banquet," he calmly replied.

He heard the woman breathe through her nose, clearly frustrated with the setback. Before she could speak, he continued talking.

"We still plan to carry out the attack, but we need to adjust our plans and gather more men. Security will be increased at the banquet."

"Very well. Once you have everything sorted out, let me know and I will take care of our talker," said Cinder.

"How do you plan to get to Shadow? That ship he's on is crawling with guards."

"I have my ways, Adam. When the time is right, he'll be silenced."

Adam's lips twisted into a nasty snarl. He was furious with Shadow for getting caught in the first place and would have killed him himself if given the chance, but he would rather have the blood be on his hands than on the hands of a callous woman who was using them for her own gain at the end of the day. She was a human that needed to be cut down like the rest of them and the day would come when she would be at the end of one's blade. It was something he longed to see.

"Fine. I'll be in touch," he said.

A click sounded as Cinder ended the call and Adam shook his head, cursing under his breath. This mess was growing out of control by the second and it would take nothing short of a miracle to keep it from blowing up in their faces.

* * *

The Bullhead drew closer to the Atlas cruiser that hovered high in the sky and overlooked Beacon and the city. Winter had to stifle a yawn. She could not wait to get some sleep after the night she had.

"So what's going to happen with your old man?" Blackburn asked.

She only shook her head. The only option she had was to protect the man and she would have to come up with a plan to carry out the mission. General Ironwood would not be happy to learn about that additional bit of information and it would be tough to try and keep a low profile by having more security. There would more than likely be a limit to the acquisitions she could make, even with General Ironwood's approval since he answered to the council who gave them their funding in the first place.

"We have to find a way to keep him safe during the banquet and not draw attention to ourselves. The longer we have the initiative, the better chance we have to counterattack," she said.

"Well, you'll think of something. Keep me in the loop and let me know if you need anything," he answered with a roll of his shoulders.

She smiled lightly and watched the airstrip come into view as the Bullhead descended. When the ship landed, the door opened and the wind welcomed her, blowing her hair and dress all over the place. She was about to step off to free herself from the wind, but stopped when her mind clicked.

Winter turned around to face Blackburn and she shifted nervously when he raised his brow at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She swallowed lightly and opened her mouth to speak, but her words were drowned out by the engines. It took Blackburn closing the door to allow her to think clearly again. She steadied her nerves and took another deep breath.

"Can you repeat that? I missed it," he said.

Winter nodded and looked him in the eye.

"General Ironwood and I attend my father's banquet every year and my father keeps trying to set me up the sons of his potential business partners," she began.

"Okay?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I am allowed to bring an additional guest and I was wondering if you would be willing to attend the banquet with me."

There it goes. A weight was lifted from her shoulders and she could feel her body starting to tremble with anticipation. Her heart thumped hard beneath her chest and she was vaguely aware of the shallow breaths going in and out of her nose.

She closely watched Blackburn's face for any sign of the upcoming response. A twitch of the lips, a diverted glance of the eyes, anything. Something to help her brace for the response she anxiously waited for.

"Am I just a decoy to keep your dad off your back?" He asked.

It was a blunt and honest question, but he had the right to know. She bit her lip and nodded lightly. A brief flicker of hurt went through is eyes and almost immediately she felt her stomach twist violently in shame. Although it was the truth, there was another truth that went along with it and she was quick to bring it up.

"It was my plan at first, but the more I thought it over the more appealing it became. Just once I would like to attend this stupid banquet with someone that I chose and wasn't pawned to. A friend who could make the night bearable and make me forget I was there," she said.

Blackburn's posture relaxed and he uncrossed his arms before leaning against the door of the Bullhead. The hurt in his eyes was gone and replaced with a more pensive look. The silence between them was heavy and she lowered her head.

"I understand if you…"

"What kind of suit do I need to wear?" He interjected.

She blinked and looked back up to meet his eyes again.

"Pardon me?" She asked.

"The banquet. What kind of suit do I need to wear?" He repeated his question.

Winter felt her mind go blank for a moment and that familiar warmth returned to her.

"Any suit will do. In fact, I'll give you a card of someone I know in the city. She owns a boutique and if you tell her you know me, she'll take care of you," she said as she pulled a white card out of her purse.

Blackburn took the card and gave it a quick read before pocketing it.

"When is this thing?" He asked.

"A week from now." She zipped her purse shut.

"Okay. I'll be ready to go."

She smiled as he opened the door and the cool wind met her once again. Her heels stepped on to the tarmac and she gave Blackburn one last parting smile.

"I had fun tonight."

He nodded back at her with a grin of his own.

"Me too."

He raised two fingers in a wave as the door shut and the Bullhead took to the air to take him back to Beacon. Winter continued to watch the ship as it flew out of sight.

 _"Thank you, Connor."_

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Next time the team gets ready to head to Atlas for the SDC banquet. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks again for the support. Check out the statements and responses below, and I'll see y'all next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Next chapter will be out 1/27/18. I'm pushing my updates back to Saturdays.**

 **2.) The poll between Coco and Winter will close when the next chapter is posted and the results will be displayed. If you have yet to vote between the two of them, be sure to try and get a say for who you believe is best girl. Remember, it doesn't confirm a pairing. It's a gauge to see who people thought had better romantic potential or if they felt there was anything between Blackburn and each girl in general.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **LT: Short term for lieutenant**

 **Review Responses:**

 **OBSERVER01: Been a long time since I've seen you comment, man! Thanks a bunch for the review spam you left behind. I did draw inspiration from Casino Royale for that last chapter. Nice to see another Bond fan.**

 **DashingxRogue: Your opinion has been noted. Whether or not it happens is another thing.**

 **Drake D. Zero: We discussed the context of your review via PM.**

 **redx1221: Well, hopefully a ship you don't like doesn't sour your whole opinion of a story since that'd be a pretty silly reason in my eyes. Sorry to break it to you, but that's the angle I am going for since earlier in the story Coco did mention to Fox that there was a girl interested in him, and it will be Yang in this one. If it's any consolation, it won't be a huge plot point and only implied. If you want to talk more about shipping and your opinion, feel free to PM me. Glad you though Winter looked awesome with black hair. Thanks for the review!**


	32. Brother

**Let's do this. Thanks a bunch for the continuous support, everyone. It means a lot to me.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks_

* * *

 _Blackburn continued looking at the ring in the black box. The band was a shiny silver that was so clear he could see his reflection in it. Resting on the top of the ring was a small diamond and it shimmered when the overhead lights of the barracks hit it. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. His first deployment was done and now came the next step of his deal with Alison. He would give her the ring he was holding as a testament of their relationship that remained strong through his deployment and kept him levelheaded through what he had witnessed._

 _The ring itself was significant because his father was the one who helped him get it. Sent it to him just before he was due to come back from Afghanistan. But the big kicker is that it did not cost him a dime. It was the very same ring that his father gave his mother, just like his grandfather did before him. A family heirloom._

 _The door to the bathroom burst open and Blackburn's eyes shifted over to find Raymond Busch coming out carrying his hygiene kit in nothing but a pair of pants. He had finished cleaning up and was getting ready for the homecoming ceremony today._

 _"Still looking at that thing?" Busch tossed his kit on his bed._

 _"Yeah. Trying to find the best words to say," said Blackburn._

 _"What's hard about it? You get down on one knee and say, "Girl, I'm nothing without you and I need you in my life." She sees the ring, gets emotional, says yes. Not that complicated."_

 _"And that's why you're still single."_

 _Busch let out a laugh and put on his shirt and bent down to tie his boots._

 _"Bro, I like being single. Women when I want them and I'm still free to do whatever the fuck I want." He tucked his laces into his boots._

 _He did have a point. Single lifestyle was easier and it did not tie you down. Once marriage came into the picture, it immediately became about two people meeting each other halfway and their lives centering on the idea of being bound by commitment and God to be together in sickness and health. Values and goals changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse._

 _"So you're really going through with it? You going to ask her after the ceremony?" Busch finished blousing his pants._

 _Blackburn hesitated and spun the box between his fingers. He thought about asking Alison after the ceremony, but felt it would be better to wait when they were alone on the off chance she said no and he had to deal with an unhealthy level of embarrassment._

 _"No. Probably not until later," he said._

 _"Good idea. Just in case she wises up and tells you to fuck off." Busch walked over to him._

 _"She wouldn't do that."_

 _Busch held his hands up to show he was not starting a fight. His sense of humor usually got a laugh out of Blackburn, but this was something important that he did not want joked about._

 _"Look man, you're going to do what you're going to do. I ain't getting married, but we got guys who do the same thing you're about to do and we both know how that can turn out," said Busch._

 _Just like before when he and his father had a similar conversation, he was getting it from Busch. He knew what he was asking for with this and what it could lead to, but he was ready. The more he kept hearing the conversation, the more doubt it began to instill in him._

 _"We just want you to be sure with your choice. You can't take something like this back and we're still young, dude. I know you and Alison have been together for years, but with something like this, shit changes." Busch stopped beside him with a cross of his arms._

 _"Are you trying to change my mind?" He looked at him._

 _"No. You're one of my boys and I support whatever you decide to do. It's because of that that I want to make sure you know what you want."_

 _Blackburn sighed and tucked the ring back in his pocket. He was certain he wanted Alison to be a part of his life, that much he knew. What he didn't know was how it would change his life and whether or not it would be good or bad._

 _"Come on. Let's see what you got," said Busch as he moved to stand in front of him._

 _"What?" Blackburn rose a brow._

 _"Pull out that ring and show me how you'd do this. If it looks shitty, I'll correct you."_

 _The smirk on Busch's face was enough to get Blackburn to crack a smile. He pulled out the ring and opened the box._

 _"See, that's your first mistake right there." Busch shook his head._

 _"What?" Blackburn asked back._

 _"Have you ever seen a movie? You get on your knee and pull it out to show it to your lady. Jesus Christ, man. You don't pull it out of your pocket like candy."_

 _"Fuck you."_

 _"Right now? I'm trying to help you, bro."_

 _Blackburn rolled his eyes and put the ring back in his pocket and took a knee in front of his jokester friend. He looked up at Busch and did everything he could to ignore the stupidity of this rehearsal. Deep down he was sure Busch was planning a joke of some sort or a way to twist the story into something homo-erotic like he always did. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. He presented it to Busch and opened the box to reveal the ring._

 _"You couldn't get something bigger?" Busch asked._

 _"Ray…" Blackburn growled out._

 _"All right, all right."_

 _He shook his head to try and remember what he wanted to say._

 _"Alison, I've spent the best years of my life with you and I want to keep them coming for as long as I live. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"_

 _Despite the words that left his mouth, it was hard to keep a straight face as he looked in Busch's eyes. Busch himself seemed to be struggling with holding his laughter in, but whether that was because of how this looked out of context or how mediocre his proposal sounded was another story._

 _Busch looked ready to speak, but his head turned to look to the side. Curious to what his friend was looking at, Blackburn did the same. In front of them was Sergeant Carlson. The man had shaving cream on half of his face with his razor in hand as he looked between the two of them at a loss for words._

 _Blackburn felt Busch put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it firmly. A sharp intake of breath came from him and he nodded at Carlson._

 _"It's exactly how it looks, Sergeant," he said._

 _Carlson only shook his head._

 _"I knew you two were gay, but goddamn." He made his way back to the bathroom._

 _"Just because he chose me instead of you doesn't mean you have to be jealous!" Busch called after him._

 _"Busch, shut the fuck up. Take Blackburn and go make sure Beavis and Butthead are squared away."_

 _Beavis and Butthead were the nicknames that Carlson had given Harvick and McDermott's replacement, Timothy Paige. Once Carlson disappeared into the bathroom, Blackburn got back to his feet and put the ring back in his pants. Both of them put on their blouses and grabbed their covers._

 _"So how did it sound?" Blackburn asked Busch as they made their way to the door._

 _"Not bad. Maybe tweak it just a bit to make it more passionate." Busch clapped his shoulder._

Blackburn smiled lightly as he looked down at his scroll. He had gotten lost in the photos of his old squad. The one he was looking at was the one that included himself, Carlson, Busch, Harvick and McDermott. It was a pleasant memory and one of the funnier ones he had with Busch in particular. The man acted like a jackass, but he was one of his best friends at the end of the day who helped him with some solid advice.

He never did propose to Alison that night. Although he intended to do it, he got caught up in the homecoming festivities. It was something he meant to do, but kept putting it off. His reasoning was because he wanted to make his proposal good, but now as he reflected on it, he began to truly wonder if it was because he was doubtful of the strength of their relationship.

Blackburn wanted to continue serving, but that meant spending a lot of time away from Alison. It was a contradiction to the whole idea of being together in union through sickness and health. That thought alone made him shudder as he mulled it over and he wondered if Alison came to that same realization when he left for his second deployment. If that was the case, maybe she did make the right decision in leaving him for someone who wouldn't be committed to his country for a living, and in the end, maybe he did the right thing by not asking her to marry him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but now he was certain he made the right choice.

His father and to an extent, Busch, had been right. People like him were married to this job and unless they left it behind or found someone in the same line of work, a relationship was out of the question.

He took a sip of his beer and his eyes fell upon the luggage he had near the door. It had been a week since he and Winter had gone into Vale with Coco's team along with Yang to find out information regarding Banesaw. After getting the intelligence from Junior, Winter had put the intelligence teams to work to have reconnaissance conducted in the locations Junior provided them. In the meantime, she, Ironwood and himself would be heading to Atlas to attend Jacques Schnee's SDC banquet.

Although Blackburn hated formals, he was only doing it as a favor for Winter. Back when he was on Earth he would attend the formals his unit had since they were mandatory. He wasn't a fan of getting dressed up. Suits felt too confining for his taste and were uncomfortable. However, he couldn't help but admit that he looked good in his dress blues. Stetson hat with his spurs and his service ribbons standing proud on his left breast. He remembered the first time Alison saw him in that and felt his cheeks perk up in a large grin. She couldn't take her eyes off him and it turned into a long night when they got home.

A knock came from his door. There was no way it was Winter since she would be meeting him on the ship later for when they left for Atlas.

"It's open!" He called to his visitor.

The door opened and after he finished his beer, his eyes fell on Blake Belladonna. She poked her head inside hesitantly and looked down at the floor for a second. When she turned her eyes to meet his, he could see the uncomfortable look etched on her face.

"Back for round two?" He asked.

Blake flinched at his words and he sighed. That was a low blow, even for him.

"No, I wanted to clear the air. Do you have a minute?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Come in," he said as he dropped his bottle in the bin.

Blake entered the room and shut the door behind her so they could have privacy from any potential passersby. More than likely a good move on her end in case their discussion got heated.

"I came to apologize. While I don't agree with some of the things you said, I shouldn't have accused you like I did," said Blake as she bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, too. For what I said just a second ago, but also for yelling at you and losing my cool like I did. I think it's safe to say we're both passionate about our stances and lines were crossed for us to say what we did," he agreed.

Blake nodded again and looked at the seat. He motioned for her to sit down and she complied, folding her hands together. She crossed her legs and met his eyes again.

"I want to understand why you did what you did. I know we come from two different areas and that the military trains you to do what you do, but I want to know about their philosophy in terms of an enemy threat," said Blake.

This would get a little complicated and grey, but if she wanted to know about it, he would happily oblige and tell her what he knew. He sighed and spared a quick look at his watch. He had enough time to fill her in before he had to leave for the Bullheads.

"To put it simply, we as soldiers follow something known as the rules of engagement or ROE. Depending on the area you are operating, you are given the ROE that falls in accordance to the enemy presence and the local population and how to go about engaging them that goes hand in hand with the escalation of force depending on the threat," he began.

"So these rules of engagement change depending on your location?" She asked.

Blackburn nodded at her.

"Right. That story I told you about had an ROE in place saying that we could only engage an enemy if we were fired upon. No firing on suspected targets without confirmation. Civilians were to be treated as you would greet a stranger, but wary for any potential threats or suspicious behavior. If civilians were rowdy or showed hostile intent, we were to follow the escalation of force to control the situation to try and dissuade them from attacking," he continued.

The town that his squad went through and where McDermott lost his life fell under that same rule. There had been reports of an increase in insurgent activity in the towns in their AO and patrols had become routine to establish a presence to lure out any enemy to eliminate them. Drone strikes would cause too much collateral damage and SF teams were being redirected to more priority level targets. So they got the job.

As a result, they completed their job by getting caught in an ambush that pinpointed an enemy location that they neutralized, costing them McDermott's life and resulted in Blackburn almost losing his because he failed to go through with what he was trained to do.

Blake was silent for a minute before speaking again.

"And that boy that your squad leader killed. Was he a civilian?" Blake asked as her hands closed into fists.

Blackburn hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

"He was a civilian up to the point he turned that gun on me. After that, he was an enemy. That's why I tried to stop him with the escalation of force or EOF. I didn't want to kill him, Blake. We can't afford to risk the life of a brother or sister when it comes down to something like that. I had to learn that lesson the hard way. Sergeant Carlson learned it way before then."

That was another story that he could tell Blake and he decided he would if she asked the follow up question like he expected her to. His old squad leader was able to execute the appropriate action that he was supposed to.

"How did this Carlson learn the lesson?" She shifted in her seat.

"He learned it before he became an NCO. Back when he was my age he got involved in a battle known as the siege of Sadr City. It was a huge shit show, but during that fight he had to make a decision that haunted him up to the day he died," said Blackburn.

Carlson's platoon had taken up a defensive position after getting caught in an ambush and were waiting for QRF after two of their vehicles were disabled. While waiting for reinforcements they repelled wave upon wave of small arms fire. In the midst of it, Carlson had killed at least three insurgents and while he was watching his sector, a woman had found one of the insurgents he killed. The woman became frantic because the man he had killed was more than likely her husband or her son, no way to know for sure, but the woman knew the man.

She had picked up his weapon and shot at their position and he was quick to return fire. One shot hit her center mass and dropped her like a rock. It was a cold and hard realization for him that lay in the wake of a long war that would only show him more horrors and things he would take to his grave.

"Did he do that to a lot of civilians?" Blake asked.

"More than he wanted to. From what I can remember him telling me, he did that at least four times over his career. No one wants to kill a civilian, but if they turn the gun on you, it's a whole different game," said Blackburn.

Blake bit her lip and he watched as her shoulders rose and then fell with a long breath.

"What was the ROE you were given when you led us on that mission?" She asked.

Blackburn fell silent again.

"All White Fang combatants were hostile and were to be dealt with as necessary. I interpreted that as the go ahead to kill them if need be," said Blackburn.

He watched the girl shake her head again, clearly not happy with his words, but she held her tongue.

"Would you have killed that boy if he was holding that rifle at Weiss?" She asked.

"If he was armed, yes. If he was unarmed, I would have secured him to be taken as a prisoner," said Blackburn.

Blake gave him a long look and blinked before giving a curt nod.

"I see. Thank you for clearing that up for me," she said.

"Now I got a question for you, if you don't mind?" Blackburn replied.

"I suppose that's fair after I asked you."

What he was about to ask her was something he suspected as far back as their talk at the restaurant, but couldn't confirm it. Now after everything that happened, he felt he was sure about it.

"Do you still have ties to the White Fang?"

He could see the color drain from Blake's face as she returned his stare. Her eyes dilated in shock and he could see her posture become stiff and reserved. That was more than enough to give him his answer.

"I-I'm not…" She began to say.

"Blake, stop. Your secret's safe with me, okay?" He said.

"I don't understand, how did you know I was a Faunus?"

He offered her a small smile and pointed towards his eyes.

"I'm good at reading people, Blake. I've had my suspicions since our talk at the restaurant, but the biggest thing that tipped me off was your bow. It twitched whenever you got emotional about something," he said.

Blake's mouth opened and closed in silent disbelief. Her nostrils flared and her brow creased as her eyes narrowed in a questioning stare.

"Have you told anyone about this?" She asked.

"No. Like I said, I suspected it, but I couldn't confirm it until now. I'd just look like an ass if I went and opened my mouth to tell someone like Ozpin or Glynda without any form of proof," said Blackburn.

Blake's glare remained in place as she stared at him.

"Are you going to tell them?" Her form shifted into one that was ready to move.

"I have no intention to. It's your business whether or not you want to reveal who you truly are. I'd only say something if you were still connected with the White Fang, which I assume isn't the case since you said you cut ties with them when we talked about your past, right?" He narrowed his eyes in return.

The girl only nodded back, this time a little slower than before, like she was hesitant with that response. While it was one thing to sever ties with a group of terrorists like she did, that didn't mean that there were others in that group she was affiliated with that could show up down the road at some point. Terrorists didn't take kindly to those who betrayed their cause or left. In fact, those that did ended up dead in some way, usually beheaded or killed along with their family.

Only time would tell whether or not the White Fang would come looking for her. If they did, he and her friends would be there to help her face them.

A vibrate from his desk caught his attention and he cast a glance to it. His scroll had lit up from the alarm he had set to make his way to the Bullheads. Time to go.

"We good now or are you still butthurt about this?" He silenced the alarm.

Blake merely rolled her eyes and got up from her chair. She made her way to the door and opened it and was about to leave, but spared him a parting glance.

"You promise not to tell anyone?" She asked him.

"Not unless I have to," he said with a raise of his hand.

She smiled back at him.

"Then we're fine. Thank you, Professor."

With that, Blake departed his office.

He got up from his chair and made sure to shut off his lights. After he finished feeding Zwei, he made his way to the door, grabbed his luggage and closed the door behind him. He sent Ruby a text that he was leaving and since she had the spare key to his office, she would be able to look after Zwei while he was gone.

* * *

Upon arriving to the Bullheads to get transported to the cruiser that would take them to Atlas, Blackburn was surprised to see Coco and her team there. They invited by Winter to truly serve as extra security for the SDC while they played the part to appease her father. Of course that didn't mean that they wouldn't be doing the same. All of them would be keeping an eye out during the banquet and would have radios to stay in touch with each other and make a quick alert if it came down to it.

The trip would be long, almost thirty hours which gave them a lot of downtime in between. Thankfully the cruiser itself was filled with things to keep them occupied. There was a lounge along with a small gym and an open court to do some recreational activities. Each of them had their own room as well. It was similar to those cruises that would take people on a two week vacation.

"Man, I'm traveling classy now," said Blackburn as he stretched out on his bed.

He was wide awake and had a lot of energy to burn. His foot lightly bounced on top of his bed as he mulled over things to do. The court looked promising and he didn't see what could be done for a sport. Maybe he could rope someone into a game to kill time?

"Beats sitting in here." He got off his bed.

After changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, Blackburn made his way through the halls of the cruiser and finally came to the large court. When he entered the room, he spotted Yatsuhashi dribbling what appeared to be a basketball. The boy dribbled the ball around before shooting the ball with perfect form. It soared through the air and a loud swish met his ears as it sunk through the basket and hit nothing but net.

"Nice shot," said Blackburn as he walked over to him.

"Oh, thanks." Yatsuhashi collected the ball and tucked it under his arm.

"You a big basketball player?"

Yatsuhashi tilted his head at his question and looked between him and the ball in his arm.

"Basketball?" He parroted back.

"Yeah, involves shooting a ball like that into the hoop there?" Blackburn jerked a thumb towards the basket.

The massive teen held made an "oh" shape with his mouth and bounced the ball on the floor.

"Sorry Professor, forgot you're not from here. No, we call this game bucket shot," said Yatsuhashi as he bounced the ball to him.

Blackburn caught the ball and smirked lightly. He played his fair share of basketball throughout high school to go along with cross country and baseball. One of the few games he enjoyed playing whenever he could get people to play. The ball echoed around the abandoned court as it hit the floor. He dribbled back and forth between his hands and took it to the rim.

He pushed off the ground with his feet and extended his arm high. His arm came down and he dunked the ball through the hoop and garnered a whistle from Yatsuhashi.

"You're a dunker, huh?" Yatsuhashi smirked at him.

"When the opportunity presents itself," Blackburn answered back with a light shrug.

"Pass me the ball."

He bounced the ball back to Yatsuhashi who took it. When the ball reached him, he took the ball and handled it with perfect control. His movement was swift for his large size as he made his way to the hoop. Testing the boy's reflexes, Blackburn rushed in to meet him to block a shot. He watched as Yatsuhashi executed a perfect pivot and pushed off the ground with a jump shot.

The ball bounced off the backboard and into the bucket. Blackburn moved under the net and caught the ball with a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Not bad. You wanna' play a game of horse?" He asked.

"Horse?" Yatsuhashi asked back.

"Just a simple game that involves a few players. One of us tries to take a shot and make the basket. If we do, that person has to make that shot and if they miss, they get a letter for the word they're spelling out. If they make it, the ball goes back to the person who makes the shot until they miss and they trade off."

"Sure."

Blackburn took the ball and made his way towards the free throw line. He eyed up his shot and jumped off the ground and released the ball. The ball went high with pinpoint accuracy and dropped into the bucket and he let out a whistle.

"Still got it. You're up," he said as he went to get the ball.

His hands scooped the ball up and he passed it to Yatsuhashi.

Yatsuhashi caught the ball and stood at the same spot he did. He dribbled the ball and eyed the rim. His hands held the ball and he made his shot. A loud clunk came as it bounced on the rim before dropping into the net.

"We might be here for a while," Yatsuhashi said with a grin.

"All right, all right, don't get cocky." Blackburn got the ball back.

His next shot was more complicated. He made his way to the free throw line and went for a hookshot. The ball hit the backboard, but it bounced off and Yatsuhashi went to get it.

"Trick shots? We can play that game if you want, Professor," he said with a grin.

Yatsuhashi turned around and threw the ball backwards. He folded his arms and Blackburn grimaced when the shot went straight into the basket. When he went to repeat it, he heard Yatsuhashi laugh. His shot went clear over the backboard for an air ball.

"That gives you an H, right?" Yatsuhashi dribbled the ball to a new position.

"I've got time," he answered back.

"Not if I have this ball you don't."

Back and forth their game went, but the game was close. Shots being made with smooth control and perfect form made it long. It was clear that Yatsuhashi had played this game for a long time, maybe since he was a kid. The way he handled the ball and made shot after shot could have made him a prime candidate for a division one school if he was back in the states. His size was another factor. The kid easily stood seven feet tall.

"I think I'll just put you out of your misery now," said Yatsuhashi.

He made his way to the half-court mark and turned around. The ball bounced twice as he dribbled it and he let it fly. Blackburn could only watch and let out a curse as it sunk into the net with a loud swish. He could make that shot too, but it would be very hard.

When he got the ball he hustled over to the same spot and eyed his shot as he dribbled. He could shoot the ball, but he would be putting a lot of extra oomph into it to make the distance. Yatsuhashi arm span was large since he was over a foot taller than him, but he had to try. Taking the chance, he jumped from the ground and released the ball and watched it soar to the basket.

The rim shuddered as the ball hit the top of it and bounced up. It thumped against the backboard and again against the rim before falling to the floor. He lost.

"Good game, Professor." Yatsuhashi went to get the ball.

"Well, we're warmed up now. Let's go again," said Blackburn.

"Fine with me. I'll let you have the first shot."

After Yatsuhashi passed him the ball, the teen rolled up the sleeves of his t-shirt. His arms were large and rippling with muscle, but they had to be to wield that huge sword of his. His left arm, however, caught Blackburn's attention. On his upper left arm was a tattoo in black ink. He had seen that tattoo once before and it was on Banesaw, the very same man they were looking for.

When he caught sight of the tattoo, Blackburn's heart momentarily stopped beating. There was no way this could be Banesaw, it couldn't! Instead of panicking, Blackburn composed himself and decided to play along.

"You got ink, too?" Blackburn nodded at his arm.

Yatsuhashi gave it a quick look and nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah. Got this one a long time ago," he answered back.

"What does it symbolize?" Blackburn rested his foot on the ball.

"Nature."

Yatsuhashi pointed to the top of the tattoo and made his way down and listing each part off.

"Wind. Land. Sea. It's something that all the men in my family have as an emblem. We as fighters are calm and at peace with all elements, no matter the condition they bring in a battle. My mind is clear and I am one with wind, land and sea and no enemy will be get the better of me as long as I bear this mark," said Yatsuhashi.

Like a lot of tattoos, Yatsuhashi's stood as a testament to who he was as a fighter. It made sense at the end of the day with what he had said. Blackburn himself had seen the boy fight and knew just how strong he was. He carried himself like a true warrior and defender and did not let the enemy taunt him, and he frequently walked away the victor.

Despite the purpose behind the tattoo and what he learned about it, Blackburn remained cautious. Yatsuhashi had said that all the men in his family had that tattoo to represent them as fighters. That only brought up two possibilities in his head. The first was that Yatsuhashi was indeed Banesaw, even though it was farfetched. If the teen was in fact the guy they were looking for this whole time, he would have likely tried to eliminate them. A low possibility, but one that could not be ignored. The other and more likely possibility was that Banesaw was part of Yatsuhashi's family.

"How big is your family? Got any siblings that I might see down the road at Beacon?" He asked as he picked up the ball again.

For the first time that afternoon, the smile fell from Yatsuhashi's face. The tall man looked down and scratched the back of his head.

"My family is gone, Professor. Our village got overrun by a Grimm attack when I was twelve. My mom, my dad, uncles, aunts and grandparents all fell trying to defend it," he said.

Blackburn frowned by accidentally bringing up a sensitive subject. The man before him was always composed and was not one to show much emotion regardless of what it was. He was strong, that much was certain. To carry on in a profession like this after losing everyone he loved? That was tough. Hell, even Blackburn didn't think he could do that. If he lost all of his friends, he knew he'd break.

"So you were the sole survivor?" He asked.

Yatsuhashi shook his head.

"No. My little brother managed to get away with me and some of the other villagers."

"You have a little brother? How old is he?" Blackburn asked.

"Eighteen like me. We're twins."

"What's his name?"

Yatsuhashi pointed down at the ball and Blackburn immediately picked it up and tossed to him. The man bounced the ball lightly on the ground and remained silent for a minute before speaking again. Possibly needing some time to clear his head.

"Kokuto. He was with me since that day and I never let him out of my sight. That's the job of the older brother. They look after their younger siblings," said Yatsuhashi.

The teen continued his story all the while dribbling the ball in between doing so. After their family was killed in the attack, he and his brother remained with the villagers that survived up to the next town. From there, they stayed together and survived doing whatever it took. Stealing food and hiding in abandoned houses, caves and alleys. Anywhere that kept them alive to see the next day. With no family to go to, they kept wandering the continent and moving from town to town after drawing attention from the locals.

They eventually made it to a more rural community in the northern end of the continent. Rolling hills and fields of green farmland that stretched for miles and endless blue skies that shone over them. They may have been homeless, but they were treated to some of the little things that rewarded them some peace and that was the beautiful landscape that welcomed them every day as they continued moving forward.

"We eventually found this farming town that offered some old barns that we could use for shelter. We made this old barn our new home on the outskirts of the town since it was deserted and gave us a roof over our heads, but we still had struggles with finding food," Yatsuhashi continued.

"Did you continue stealing?" Blackburn asked.

"We had to. I know it's wrong, but it was our only option. We'd use the fields to steal vegetables and we even stole some livestock at night."

"I'm not saying what you did was wrong. You did what you had to in order to survive, so I understand completely."

Yatsuhashi nodded at him and sighed, bouncing the ball again.

"Anyway, one night we got caught stealing a pig by one of the farmers," he said with a small smile.

"Why are you smiling? Can't imagine that ended well for you," said Blackburn.

"You're right, it shouldn't have ended well for us, but in the end it was the best thing that happened. Because when we told the man why we did it, he welcomed us into his home. In return we had to help him around his farm."

"Farm boy?"

"Farm boy."

Gaining a surrogate father after attempting to steal his livestock was a surprising left turn that Blackburn did not expect. He was brought back to reality when Yatsuhashi continued his story.

"That man was Velvet's uncle. Used to be a Huntsman and he served as an inspiration to me, Kokuto and Velvet when we were growing up. The stories he told us at dinner or before we went to bed were better than fairy tales, and that ultimately served as our motivation to become Huntsman. At least it did for me. I wanted to protect people from Grimm so they wouldn't have to experience what me and Kokuto went through."

Blackburn was again surprised with the next revelation of how Yatsuhashi met Velvet. He figured that both of them met just like most partners did at the start of their training, through the initiation. After spending time with Team CFVY, RWBY and JNPR, he heard all kinds of stories from the bizarre entrance test and assumed that the majority of the partners were meeting each other for the first time. To hear that Yatsuhashi and Velvet had known each other far before that and even lived together was a pleasant surprise.

The more he mulled it over, the more it would make sense. Yatsuhashi was always close to Velvet like a partner should be, but he often guarded her and looked after her like a younger sister.

"What happened to Kokuto?" Blackburn asked.

The teen had referred to his little brother in the past tense and if both of them were the same age, he should be in Beacon with him. There had to be a reason for that, and if his hunch was right, it was not looking good for one of his earlier guesses.

Yatsuhashi frowned again and shook his head.

"What I said a minute ago about me, Kokuto and Velvet wanting to become Huntsmen was true, but things change. We came to Vale to deliver some harvested crops one day and there was a White Fang protest taking place. It was a peaceful protest and it caught Kokuto's attention and he wanted to see what it was all about. I was about to stop him, but decided to let him see for himself so he could form his own opinion. I heard about them from Velvet and her uncle and took their word for it, especially after reading articles about them," he said.

"What happened next?" Blackburn frowned.

"Kokuto never came back from that protest. I waited for him until morning, but he was gone. I looked all over the city and I never found him."

Yatsuhashi's fist clenched tight and his arm tucked the ball under it. His brow was creased into a firm glare as he stared at the floor. This was something that bothered him greatly and that was clear with his body language.

"I believe he's out there somewhere with the White Fang. I want to find him and bring him back," said Yatsuhashi.

"How do you know that? He's not a Faunus, so why would he be with them?" Blackburn asked.

That was more of a rhetorical question. Deep down he could see where this was going from the second Yatsuhashi mentioned that Kokuto went to the rally. If his brother was gone, that meant he had to be a Faunus if he was with them. They didn't allow humans into the White Fang.

Yatsuhashi let out a soft sigh and looked up at him. The young man then spared a quick look around the room and set the ball on the floor.

"Can you keep a secret, Professor?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course I can." Blackburn nodded back.

Yatsuhashi closed his eyes and let a calm breath exit his nose. When he opened his eyes, he held up his hands and Blackburn could only watch as the man's nails extended into a small set of claws reminiscent of a bear. His hands in general seemed to change shape and adapted a more feral appearance, larger and more powerful.

"Faunus traits don't have to be visible. Kokuto and I both have subtle features. We're the dominant species of Remnant and Faunus children always take after the parent, and we take after our father," he explained.

Blackburn could only stare at the animalistic claws that Yatsuhashi revealed to him in silence. His suspicions were now confirmed. Kokuto was alive and was more than likely Banesaw, taking orders from Lotus and acting as the field commander. Yatsuhashi was unaware of this and so long as he could help it, Blackburn would keep that secret from him. He did not want his student to learn the truth and find out firsthand that he man they were hunting was in fact his little brother.

That would be dangerous. There was a chance that knowing his identity could leave him compromised and neglect his duties as a Huntsman to carry out the mission. It could even lead him to an early death if he let his emotions and attachment get the better of him if he ever met him face to face.

"I failed my job as his brother to keep him safe, and now he's out there with a group of terrorists bent on achieving equality for Faunus through bloodshed. If there's even a chance that I can find him and persuade him to leave, I have to take it. I owe him that much," said Yatsuhashi.

Silence fell between them again and Blackburn watched him retract his claws. Once his hands returned to their human-like state, he spoke again.

"And what if you find him and can't change his mind? What will you do then?" He challenged.

Yatsuhashi's fists clenched at his words and his eyes narrowed again. There was a flicker of anger in there, but it was soon replaced with a strong resolve. Determination.

"Then I'll stop him by any means necessary. I can't let him hurt anyone else because I failed to do what needed to be done," he answered softly.

His hands gripped the ball tightly and his shoulders shook as he let out a shaky sigh. Although he said those words, there was still lingering doubt in him. It was one thing to say something, but to actually follow through was another. That's what separated men from the boys. Men had to make difficult decisions, no matter the pain or sacrifice that came from it. They follow through whereas boys were all talk and no play.

"Does any of your team know about this besides Velvet?" Blackburn asked.

"No. You're the only other person outside of her that knows, Professor," he said.

Blackburn nodded at him and uncrossed his arms. Not one, but two of his students revealed their Faunus heritage to him. It felt weird at first, but it filled him with a sense of pride. His students trusted him enough to confide in him with big secrets that they otherwise kept under wraps.

"Well, I'll tell you what. So long as we're working together on these missions against the White Fang, I want to help you. If we come across your brother at some point, I'll do everything I can to help you make him see reason," said Blackburn.

Yatsuhashi looked up and his lips curved up in a small smile. He nodded and held out his hand which Blackburn shook. His hand was gripped tightly and he returned the grip with as much strength as he could and shook the young man's hand.

"Thank you, Professor," said Yatsuhashi.

"Any time." He nodded back.

Yatsuhashi bounced the ball again and was about ready to pass it to him, but a sharp whistle got their attention.

In the doorway they spotted Fox, Velvet, Coco and Winter. All of them were dressed for a short workout and they made their way into the room. Coco's strut towards them made him roll his eyes playfully at the brunette as she folded her arms.

"So this is where you two were hiding? And you didn't even invite us to play?" She smirked at them.

"You don't seem like the bucket shot type, no offense," Blackburn offered back with a small grin.

"I'm sorry, but what did you just say?"

Coco rose a brow and tilted her shades down enough for her eyes to bear into his.

"You heard me." He taunted back as he marched towards her.

"Ball me." She clapped her hands at Yatsuhashi.

Yatsuhashi blinked owlishly at her before doing as she asked. Once the brunette had the ball she turned on the spot and launched it towards the basket. The net made a loud swish as her shot hit dead on. She puffed her chest out in pride and a toothy grin was on her lips.

"What'd ya have to say about that, Connor?" She looked back at him.

"Lucky shot," he said with a shake of his head.

"It's going to be like that, huh? Fine, if you wanna' play that game, we'll play that game."

Coco made her way over to Winter and Velvet and stood between them. Fox made his way over to Blackburn and Yatsuhashi.

"You three against us three, right here, right now," said Coco.

She had a challenging grin on her face, one that was returned by both Winter and Velvet as they stared him, Fox and Yatsuhashi down. He spared both of them a quick look. Yatsuhashi nodded at him and Fox offered a small shrug of indifference. Not one to turn down a challenge, he picked up the ball after it rolled back to him and smirked back at the spunky brunette.

"Hope you're ready for an ass whoopin," said Blackburn.

* * *

 **Omake: The Poll is a Lie!**

Blackburn was sitting in the infirmary and paying both Coco and Winter a visit. Their catfight had gotten out of hand and left both of them out of commission for the time being. Both of them had been scolded for their childish behavior regarding a trivial matter. Winter had been accepting of the criticism while Coco had been disgruntled, but that also had to do with the fact the poll had been closed.

"This is ridiculous," she mumbled as she got off her bed.

"Maybe to you, but it makes perfect sense to me," Winter said with a smile.

"Can it, Sugar Queen!"

A monitor displayed the poll results between the two of them on who was the better romantic interest at the end of the day, and Coco did not take it well at all. Sixty voters had offered their opinion and the final score was set with eighteen for her and forty-two for Winter. A humiliating defeat.

"You only won because you've had more screen time than me!" Coco crossed her arms.

"I'm one of the main characters of the story, so how is that my fault?" Winter narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not referring to just the story. I'm also talking about the show. You've had more screen time than me and my team put together, so naturally you'll get more fanboys than me!" She retorted.

Winter shook her head and leveled her with a half-hearted glare.

"Your quarrel isn't with me. It's with the writers," she said.

"Says you," Coco said as she walked around her bed towards Blackburn.

"Losers are always the fist to blame someone other than themselves."

Coco stopped dead and made a step towards the lieutenant's bed. Her glasses had been broken in their fight which left her brown eyes on full display. There was not a hint of warm kindness in them.

"If I was a loser I wouldn't have been able to put you in that bed," she said flatly.

A distant roar of "Oh" could be heard far off, causing the three of them to look around for it. Blackburn even walked to the window to search for a hidden crowd, but found nothing. He only scratched his head and gently caressed his lower back. He had felt some form of swelling and tender to touch skin since he woke up that morning, but had been unable to find the time to find the cause of it.

"The most disgusting thing about that poll was that there was a few write ins for both of us to share, Blackburn," said Winter.

Blackburn blinked and turned back to the two of them with a look of disbelief.

"What?" He furiously dug into his ear to make sure he heard her right.

"There were people that wanted us to share you. It was a hidden option, but the amount of people that chose it was ridiculous! How many perverts are out there?" Winter said as she got out of her bed for a stretch.

"People wanted a harem for me?" Blackburn looked between them.

"Evidently." Winter shook her head with a sigh.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. While a threesome would be any man's fantasy, it was not a glamorous life like it was displayed in the many anime that swarmed the internet and TV. No women would sacrifice their self-respect to share a man. No man could keep multiple women like that happy. It was unrealistic, but anime forgoes that because fuck logic! It's funny and it's a guilty fantasy!

Blackburn grimaced and rubbed his lower back again as his shirt dragged across it. Seriously, what was burning back there? Did he get rug burn during a spar session with Winter that he couldn't remember?

He was brought from his thoughts when Coco made her way over to Winter with a wicked smirk. The look alone put the taller lieutenant on edge and she took a step back to look down at the brunette.

"What's wrong, Winter? Not feeling adventurous?" Coco smiled sweetly.

"I-I beg your pardon?" Winter rose a brow.

"You mean to tell me you haven't had some curious fantasies like that?"

Winter's face went brick red at Coco's words and she vehemently shook her head.

"Of course not! I would never do something like that!" She retorted. "Would you?"

Coco, being the expert in teasing that she was, laid into Winter with no remorse.

"Well, there's nothing like experiments..." She walked up behind her.

Without warning, she wrapped her arms around Winter and cupped her breasts. Winter froze and craned her neck to glare at Coco, but the furious blush on her face made it hard for her to look intimidating.

"W-what are you doing!?" She squawked.

Coco let out a whistle.

"What are you, a thirty-two double C? You're bigger than me, but not too much."

"I'm a D!" Winter slapped her hands away before covering her mouth.

"You gotta' lighten up there, Sugar Queen. I'd be down for sharing stud muffin here."

Coco sauntered over to Blackburn and wrapped her arms around his left and pulled it close to her chest, not once taking her eyes off of Winter. When Winter made no move toward her or said anything, she began to pull him out of the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Winter found her voice.

"I don't care if you won the poll or not, Sugar Queen. I'm taking him with me!" Coco pointed at her.

Once again Blackburn felt the burn on his back and he wormed his arm free.

"Okay, something's off here," he said.

He spotted a mirror and walked over to it. His hands pulled up his shirt and he stared at the spot that had been flaring up all day. When he saw what it was, his eyes almost bugged out of his head. It was a small message that he could only read out in shock.

"Property of Winter Schnee."

He looked back at Winter who had a perfectly straight face as her arms were folded behind her back. Coco's eyes bore holes into the lieutenant who offered a small shrug to the pair of them.

"I had to mark what was mine," she simply answered.

"So you branded me like a fuckin' heifer!?" Blackburn shouted back.

"Last I checked I won the poll and you have been assigned as my partner, so you are my responsibility. This is just a means of insurance."

Winter walked to him and placed a firm hand on his arm and shot a look at Coco that reeked of smug confidence. She was sure she won and fought off the brunette, but she got a rude surprise when Coco marched up to Blackburn's other side and grabbed his arm just as tight.

"I'm not letting you win that easy," she said with a smirk.

"Then you better be ready to lose!" Winter smirked back.

"You sure you just don't want to share? You might like the threesome idea."

Winter's face flushed again, but she was quick to fight it back and replace it with a steely look.

"A Schnee doesn't share," she said defiantly.

Coco smiled back at her.

"There's two types of people in this world, Winter. People who like having their ass played with and then there are liars. Something tells me you're not the latter."

Winter's face turned red once again and she got into another argument with the brunette. While this was going on, Blackburn's eyes slowly drifted to the window. It was easily a ten story drop, but he had been working on landing strategies in his spare time.

 _"Just break free from this madness and you can be going headfirst out that window to freedom!"_ He thought as he watched a bird fly by.

While the two beauties battled each other again, up in the headmaster's office, Ozpin and Glynda watched the event unfold on screen. Their battle had come to an end, leaving the office in ruins. Cogs from the large clock were broken into massive chunks, half of the roof was gone and left the office vulnerable to any bird droppings, the elevator was destroyed and the windows had been blown out with glass strewn about the floor. The headmaster and headmistress had bruises, cuts and torn clothing before they decided to call the match off before they brought the whole tower down.

Ozpin stroked his prized thermos like a fluffy kitten. He was very pleased with himself for defending it against his irrational deputy who was hell bent on destroying it. He had taken the liberty of offering write ins for the poll and was surprised with the amount of people who opted for both women to be his assistant professor's lover. People may call them perverts, but he preferred to think of them as his loyal trolls and fellow die hard shippers who loved nothing more than chaotic humor for some poor bastard.

"We really did a number on each other, didn't we?" Ozpin asked Glynda.

"I would say so," she agreed as she fixed her shattered glasses before putting them back on.

"And what have we learned, my dear?"

Glynda offered him a sideways glare.

"That you are clinically insane and should be given a psych evaluation," she offered.

"Bitter much?" He took a sip from his thermos.

"I am not bitter. I just question the idea behind putting an eccentric man in charge of students who are supposed to be the protectors of this world. People think of you as an enigma, but you're truly a madman."

Ozpin gave a chuckle and leaned back in the remnants of his chair. The chair gave a creak and he leaned forward again just as the back gave way and crashed to the floor in a swirl of stuffing. He gave a small sigh and pulled out a small bottle and pulled a small capsule from it and popped it in his mouth and swallowed it with a quick sip of coffee.

"What was that?" Glynda asked.

"What was what?" He asked calmly as he let the bottle slip back into the sleeve of his shirt.

"That bottle."

"I have no idea what you're..."

He had no time to react as Glynda used her telekinesis to pull the bottle out. She caught the bottle and gave him a quick glare before adjusting her glasses to read the print on it. When she looked it over, her eyes almost bugged out of her head.

"Peter Port Crazy Pills?" She snapped her head back to him.

"Please give that back. I need those to stay relatively normal," said Ozpin.

"Relatively normal, are you serious?"

"I'm a complicated man, Glynda."

"Everything about you is complicated!"

"I know it sounds silly, but those mellow me out. I strongly advise you to give those back."

Glynda refused to do so. Her hand shook the bottle and her eyes shrunk in disbelief when she only heard one pill bouncing around in there. Out of curiosity, she looked at the directions and dosage on the bottle.

"When were you given these?" She asked.

"About a week ago," Ozpin replied not missing a beat.

"How are you still alive? You should have OD'd on these!"

"Don't ask questions you want to know the answers to."

Glynda sucked her teeth and her eyes scrolled over the side effects of the medication.

"Warning, side effects may include increased eccentricity, heart failure, intensified shipping desires, erectile dysfunction, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, random outbursts and cause the user to scream at mice without a shirt on. Not intended for people over the age of eighty, headmasters, children or anyone in general. Do not exceed three pills a day."

She blinked in utter shock at what she had just read and unscrewed the cap of the container. Only one pill remained, but what caught her eye was the color of it and the size. She let the pill fall into her hand and she looked at it closely.

"What in the world is this?" She asked.

"The most wonderful thing in the world. It's weird to use though since they don't give you directions, but it goes great with coffee," said Ozpin.

"How have you been taking it?"

"The mouth of course, but I was wondering if it was a suppository earlier."

"All right, I've heard enough!"

Glynda crushed the pill in her hand and watched the remains blow away thanks to a gust from the shattered windows.

"Ha! Ha! Bodily fluids!" Ozpin burst out jubilantly.

"I am surrounded by idiots." Glynda pinched her nose.

* * *

 **That's the chapter, folks! Hope you enjoyed it. I've been waiting to do this chapter for a while now since I want to bring Yatsuhashi out more as a character and giving him a connection with Banesaw was the best way in my eyes. With that being said, check out the statements below, and I'll see you next time!**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) The next update is scheduled for 2/10/18**

 **2.) The poll is officially closed and as you saw in the omake, Winter crushed Coco in the vote for best girl for Blackburn, 42 to 18. Tough break for Coco fans, but hopefully the omake was enough to cheer you all up despite the insane OOCness. It should go without saying, but that is no way canon and merely to provide you all with hopefully gut busting laughter.**

 **3.) There will be a new poll on my profile regarding this story here. I intended this to be a one and done story, but I was wondering if anyone liked Blackburn's character or the story enough to see a sequel that covers volumes three, four and five? I will be perfectly fine with no one wanting one because I didn't intend for one to come from it, but I feel I can create more original content with what we have. The poll would be up for the remainder of the story to gauge an interest from readers to see if I will do it or not.**

 **4.) Kokuto, Yatsuhashi's brother, is Japanese for Brown Sugar, thus falling in line with the color naming rule.**

 **Military Terms:**

 **AO: Area of Operations**

 **EOF: Escalation of Force**

 **ROE: Rules of Engagement**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Wpago: The blues are sexy and as cool as it would be to have them in Remnant, he didn't have them on him. The least I could do was have him reflect on the majestic uniform. Good to see something from you, man!**

 **OBSERVOR01: Thanks for the review! Glad you liked the conversation between Blackburn and Winter and Winter's introspection on how her life could have been if she didn't join the military. Blackburn's music is filled with Rock/Metal and Country. He has very little R &B songs on there.**

 **ODSTFRymann: Thanks for the review, glad you like the story. Well, you could have seen for yourself whether or not you voted for Coco or Winter by trying to vote again on the poll.**

 **redx1221: Well, I saw your review on my other story regarding your response to your last one on this one. Don't worry about it. I try not to get involved in that whole shipping spiel because it gets out of hand too easily. If you want to talk more about that, feel free to PM me because I have my own view on RT's whole LGBTQ move in RWBY.**


	33. Downtime

**Let's get to it. Thanks a bunch for the continued support, everyone. It means a lot to me.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks_

* * *

The ball rang loudly against the floor of the court as Blackburn dribbled it, all the while staring Winter down as she stood in front of him blocking his path to the basket. There was a challenging look in her eye and a cocky smirk was on her face, just like there was one for Coco and Velvet. They had the lead at the moment in their little game, twenty to ten, first one to thirty wins.

"You have nowhere to go," said Winter as she moved in step with him.

He rose his brow and gave her a flat look.

"You're talking to one of the best point guards in Piedmont. There's plenty of time left," he answered back.

When Winter made to swipe at the ball, he made his move and bounced it between her legs and weaved his way around her. From the corner of his eye he caught her surprised reaction from the trick, but she would be expecting it later. He had used a couple of his tricks to get points on the board for them.

He was upon the hoop, but was quickly zoned by Velvet and Coco. To his right, Yatsuhashi and Fox were wide open. Before coming to a quick stop, he flung the ball at Yatsuhashi who was immediately swarmed by Winter, but the ball was out of his hands and in Fox's. Fox executed a perfect layup and the ball bounced off the backboard and into the basket for two quick points. Twenty to twelve.

"Okay, time out!" Blackburn made a T with his hands.

"Take your time! You'll need it!" Coco smirked back at him.

He said nothing back to her taunt and beckoned Fox and Yatsuhashi over. They needed a change of strategy. The girls had been in sync with each other from the beginning of the game and had been on fire since the start. No matter what they did to hold the defense, Winter and Velvet were too fast and were quick to the hoop with layups or rebounds on missed shots. Watching their strategy tipped him off that they were going off fast break offenses and their zone defenses had kept them limited to points.

"What's the plan?" Fox asked.

"We're going to mix up our offense and use a pressure defense, so you better have good stamina," Blackburn answered back.

"Are you thinking of going for threes?" Yatsuhashi looked at him.

Blackburn nodded back.

"Here's the deal. Yatsu, you're our best shot, so if an opportunity presents itself, take it. Fox, you and I have the speed, so we will bring the pressure with the defense. We have to try and keep them close together as best we can to get to the ball for a steal or a rebound…"

He continued to explain his plan to his team. Pressure defense would be used to keep the ball in movement for a shot to be made by burning the clock, if a shot was made and a rebound was possible, Yatsuhashi would come in since he was the tallest to try and help Blackburn secure the ball. Once the ball was in their possession, they would switch between a fast break offense and motion offense for perimeter shots, transitions would be made on the call of "Oklahoma."

"You guys got it?" Blackburn looked between Fox and Yatsuhashi.

"Yeah. Let's do it." Fox nodded back.

From behind them, Coco crossed her arms and let another taunt fly.

"When you girls are done kissing we got some more ass kicking for you!"

Blackburn sent her a small glare which only made the brunette smile back sweetly. He held up a finger to signal their talk was almost done. When he turned his attention back to Yatsuhashi and Fox, his brow furrowed. The gloves were coming off.

"No joke, boys. We need to un-fuck ourselves and win this game. I refuse to lose to a cocky lieutenant, a shit talking diva and a shy girl," said Blackburn.

He clapped his hands and they broke from their huddle to return to the game. They were down and it would take perfect execution of their plays to get back into the game and win it. Something that they were more than capable of doing.

Once they got into their positions, Blackburn got the ball from Winter and stared her down again as he dribbled it lightly. Her face was flushed and glistening with sweat as she watched him closely. For the most part, she held her own during the game and was responsible for half of the points that her team scored. Now it was time for him to return the favor and show her how in over her head she was. From the corner of his eye he watched Fox and their eyes met.

With quick feet, Fox faked a shift to the left before darting right and cutting to the hoop and Blackburn worked his way around Winter for a run as well. Mid dribble he was met by Coco and he released the ball backwards with a hard bounce pass. The ball echoed around the court from the hard thud and went straight to Yatsuhashi who was wide open at the three point line. When the tall teen caught the ball with his hands, Winter was quick to leap towards him with her arm outstretched to tip the ball.

Yatsuhashi handled the ball well and psyched her out with a pump fake and the moment she went by him, his feet left the ground and the ball licked his fingertips. It soared through the air and a loud swish followed a second later. Twenty to fifteen. They were slowly chipping away at the deficit the girls put them in.

"Huh, not bad. But we got our own tricks, too!" Coco dribbled the ball to the half-court line.

Winter went beside her and they both jogged to the three point line. Blackburn and Fox were quick to meet both of them at the line. When Blackburn went to set the block on Winter, he watched her raise her hand a little bit and a small smirk danced on her lips. A small glyph appeared under Coco and the brunette took off like a bullet for the rim and completely bypassed Fox.

Yatsuhashi broke off from Velvet to block Coco and managed to stop her in her tracks. The brunette then passed the ball at Yatsuhashi who was not expecting anything and he took the ball straight to his forehead, dazing him. The ball bounced back into Coco's hands and she bounced it to Velvet who was off to her side just as Blackburn and Fox swarmed her from behind.

"Do it, Vel!" Coco cheered.

"Right!" Velvet hurried to the rim.

She got up under the basket and let the ball fly into the small square of the backboard. A small thump and the ball bounced into the rim for two points. Coco high-fived her teammate before high-fiving Winter after she walked up to them.

"What the hell was that?" Blackburn asked as he let Yatsuhashi take the ball.

"It's called strategy," Winter said back with a smile.

"That's cheating."

"You never said anything about using Semblances."

Blackburn sucked his teeth and nodded lightly.

"Okay. You want to play like that, fine. It'll make it sweeter when we win," he answered her with a small shake of his head.

Back and forth the game went with Winter using her glyphs to give her team the advantages that showed themselves, but it did not take long for their pattern to get figured out. They managed to score two more times, thankfully missing their three pointers just from pressure defense and bad form, but they did not miss by much. Blackburn managed to get Fox and Yatsuhashi into the game more with them taking their three point shots and making them one after the next. Their constant points put the pressure on the girls and they were now showing signs of mild frustration with their focused glares.

The game was now tied at twenty-nine all. Whoever got the final score would be the winners, but if Blackburn managed to get his team the win, it would mark an impressive comeback against the girls, especially with their usage of Winter's glyphs.

The ball bounced hard off the rim and was caught by Yatsuhashi after Winter's failed shot. He passed the ball to Fox who soon passed it to Blackburn to turn it over on their end of the court. It was now their possession and they had to end the game here if they wanted a chance to win. He was exhausted and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest from the constant running.

His arm was pushed out to keep Winter at bay and he pushed off his feet to run to the rim. Velvet and Coco were fast to surround him. He held the ball high above his head and his head swiveled around to find Fox or Yatsuhashi. Fox was just under the basket and he nodded at him.

"Oklahoma!" He let the ball fly from his hands.

Coco, Velvet and Winter chased after the ball and were on Fox like a swarm of bees. He somehow managed to break free from their pressure and bounced the ball to Yatsuhashi who was on his end of the three point line. Before the large teen could take the shot, Winter was on him with usage of her glyph. He tried to pivot around her, but was met by Velvet.

Fox was fast to his aid as he ran up the court and spun on his heel to dribble the ball back to the basket. Winter was upon him and had his path blocked. Taking the chance, Fox took the shot and watched the ball bounce off the rim and head to the floor. He quickly redeemed his shot by slapping the ball away and it was recovered by Yatsuhashi. The large teen then turned towards Blackburn who was wide open and passed him the ball.

The second the ball was in his hands, Blackburn took his shot.

"Kobe!" He watched the ball curve into the air.

The rainbow shot went high and then dropped down like a meteor. A loud swish sounded as the game ended with an impressive comeback. Thirty-two to twenty-nine.

"Oh, baby! Y'all got nothin' on us!" Blackburn pumped his arms.

Fox and Yatsuhashi exchanged high fives with him grinning broadly at their comeback.

"Please, you guys hung on by luck," Coco said with a smirk.

"That wasn't luck, it was skill. Get your facts straight," Blackburn offered back as he gave her the signature drill sergeant knife hand. "You just can't accept you lost!"

Coco gave a lighthearted shrug and dismissed it. She, Velvet and Winter shook hands with them like any good sport should.

"I will say that back where I come from if women played like you three did, more people would watch women's sports," said Blackburn.

"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment," said Winter.

"As you should."

Winter rolled her eyes and her nose scrunched up. She pinched the collar of her shirt and tugged on it to filter the smell.

"Well, I don't know about all of you, but I'm taking a shower," said Coco as she fanned at her nose.

"Same here. You guys wanna' meet up afterword and hang out? We got a lot of downtime," said Blackburn.

Winter, Velvet and Coco exchanged looks and nodded back at him.

"Sounds good. We'll see you boys in a bit," said Coco.

With that, the three girls made their way out of the court and disappeared down the hall to clean up. Blackburn, Fox and Yatsuhashi followed close behind. They would have a lot of time to kill before they reached Atlas.

* * *

Downtime was a soldier's worst enemy and it was no different for Huntsmen in training. Being productive is what people like them thrived on. They started a day with an agenda and always had something to do or some place to go in order to stay busy. Whenever that was stagnate, it made time slow down to a trickle until something popped up. Hurry up and wait at its finest.

Thankfully the group was able to improvise and find things to do to make the time pass by quick. About an hour after their pickup game of bucket shot, they had gone to the lounge to play a game of "Cards Against Remnant" which gave them endless rounds of amusement and exposure to each other's sense of humor be it dark, wild, grotesque, or silly, it went on and on well into the early evening. They eventually relaxed and settled to watching some movies that lulled them to sleep one by one.

After Velvet left the room to go to sleep, Blackburn and Winter decided to watch one last movie. While he was selecting the movie, Winter had gone to the fridge for something to drink. He heard the fridge close behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Winter holding up a six pack of beer. She had a playful smile on her face.

"I seem to recall you saying it's depressing to drink alone," said Winter.

"It is." He smirked back.

Winter walked back to the couch the two of them had been sitting on all evening and set the pack of beer on the table. They each took a bottle and two hisses sounded as the caps twisted off.

"Cheers." Blackburn held his bottle out to her.

A small clink sounded as the two bottles met between them and they took their first gulps of the icy beverages.

The movie had offered them a comfortable silence as it continued to play. It was an intense action movie that centered on a man who was betrayed and hunting down those responsible to clear his name. A theme used in a lot of action movies, but it was that cliché that made it a constant hook towards the viewers. They wanted to root for the man and watch him bring justice to those that wronged him. It was no different from any of the James Bond and Jason Bourne movies that Blackburn enjoyed.

Deep down, Blackburn found himself drawn to those movies because they were not only entertaining and cool, but held truth to an extent. He had decided that after he and Alison broke up, he would dedicate his time to the military like his father and with that came the potential to not only open the door to more opportunities, but even to other government work like CIA or FBI jobs if he wanted out of the military. Something along those lines or even a PMC. Why fix something that wasn't broken? It was a lifestyle and career he was good at.

He had finished his first bottle of beer and was quickly working on his second one. From the corner of his eye he could see Winter was keeping pace with him. Her cheeks were free from any redness that use to occupy them when she first started drinking with him that day in his office.

"What are you staring at?" Winter rose a brow at him.

He shook his head and smiled back at her.

"Nothing. I just noticed your cheeks don't get red early like they used to whenever you drank," said Blackburn.

A light laugh escaped the lieutenant and she relaxed into the couch, folding her legs on it.

"That's what comes from drinking with you," said Winter.

"Oh, are you blaming me?" He smirked back.

"I could, but that wouldn't be fair or true. You may have gotten me to drink more than I used to, but this is all on my accord now. It helps take the edge off."

"So long as you know your limits."

Winter nodded lightly and her lips fell into a small frown. Her eyes glazed over for a moment as though she was hit with a wave of nostalgia.

"Limits? If only it were that simple," she said under her breath.

"Sorry?" Blackburn asked, hearing perfectly well what she said.

Winter was quick to shake her head and flashed him a smile in return.

"It's nothing important. What did I miss?" She looked back at the television.

Blackburn didn't take her bait and only frowned back at her as he leaned against the couch. He didn't take his eyes off of her and watched as her eyes would flick back to him every now and then. This continued for a matter of two minutes before she sighed and looked back at him.

"Come on, talk to me," he offered her.

Winter drank from her bottle again and she sucked her teeth after the contents went down her throat.

"I suppose you can call it an epiphany as well as ironic," she began as she fiddled with the bottle in her hand.

Winter's eyes fell upon the beer's label and she twirled the bottle again with her fingertips.

"What are you talking about?" Blackburn shook his head, completely lost.

Her eyes found him again and she raised her bottle and swiveled it again. The little action was more than enough to give him an indicator that alcohol played a part of what she was going to tell him. It was believed that alcohol brought the truth out of people and he immediately suspected Winter was going to reveal something important.

"Everyone has a vice, and it seems as though I share the same one as my mother," said Winter.

Now she had his full attention. He had almost forgotten about Winter's mother. He only remembered because Weiss had mentioned her in passing when they were on the mission a while back. It was something that he had been meaning to talk to Winter about, but it was always snuffed by more important matters that arose. The lieutenant had told him that her mother had died, but her sister noted that their mother was still alive. It was disconcerting that Winter would say something like that when her mother was still alive and kicking, but she no doubt had a reason for saying what she did.

"It's only natural to resemble your parents in some way," said Blackburn.

"That may be true, but it's not one I wanted." Her eyes grew sharp. "When I was younger, I wanted to be like my mother in every way."

"Why is that bad?"

"Because of who she was and who she has become!"

Her retort was riddled with anger and disappointment. She tilted her head back and drank the remaining contents in her bottle before setting it on the table and grabbing her third. She twisted the cap off and let it drop to the floor with a light chime.

"My mother used to be an accomplished specialist. She was gifted from the beginning and a fast learner. She was accepted into Atlas Academy a year early and reached the top of her class her first year," Winter continued before taking another drink.

Like mother, like daughters. From what Winter had told him and from what he had seen, Blackburn could tell that the Schnee women fell into a particular pattern. All three of them were prodigies and exceptional in skill. He had seen both Winter and Weiss carry themselves well in the field and could only imagine how their mother faired when push came to shove.

"Her career was what she was focused on, and my grandfather was still running the company. She inherited her work ethic from him and strove to exceed the standards that were set before her. But that all changed after she reached the rank of captain," said Winter.

"How so?" Blackburn asked in between a gulp of beer.

Winter only shook her head and sipped her beer.

"My grandfather was a man that liked to travel Remnant and when he founded the Schnee Dust Company, it took off and he was constantly on the move, moving from place to place to set up excavation sites, create jobs and stimulate the economy all over Remnant. Eventually it became too much for him and he needed to consider stepping down for his health," said Winter.

At this, Blackburn noticed her hand flex as it gripped her bottle tightly. Her eyes narrowed and her lips had twisted into a nasty scowl. She guzzled down the remnants of her drink and set the empty bottle on the table. Her cheeks were now more flushed, but that could be due to the anger that was slowly making its way to the surface.

"My grandfather loved and respected my mother too much to pressure her into taking over the company, so he opted to go down a different path. He met with plenty of businessmen and some old friends of his to see if they would be a good fit for taking control of the company, and it was here that he met my father, Jacques," she continued.

Blackburn watched Winter open another bottle and waited patiently as she calmed her venting through another drink. The moment she finished with her quick drink, she continued where she left off.

"Jacques was the son of one of my grandfather's friends. He got his start in business as an entrepreneur in the dust trade and was very successful for someone who was barely known. With everything he did to get on the market and make a name for himself, my grandfather felt he was the one that could do it and offered him the company, but Jacques would only agree to the deal if he had permission to marry into the Schnee name."

Blackburn felt his lips curl a little at the end there. An arranged agreement that involved a marriage was never promising in the stories he heard of it. Arranged marriages were often done in the best interest for the families involved, not for the individuals being brought together. He had heard a couple of stories from both his dad and Sergeant Carlson about some families in Iraq and Afghanistan that did it, but didn't pay it much mind. Now he had a reason to. The concept was solely responsible for the existence of his friend beside him and her younger sister that was now his student.

"From what I understand before he proposed that idea, he had been wooing my mother. I wish I knew what she saw in him, but he could most likely pass for an actor with the front he put up in order to worm his way into her heart," said Winter.

Another drink from the bottle and Winter wiped the small spillage from her lips. A sharp breath drew into her and he watched her shoulders rise and fall as she calmed herself enough to continue.

"Obviously you can see what happened because I'm here now along with Weiss and our little brother, Whitley," she said.

He nodded back lightly, finally taking a drink from his beer for the first time in a while. What he meant to have be a lighthearted conversation had turned into something deep and personal for the woman beside him. He knew when he screwed up and now was not the time to try and shift the conversation away. This was something she had kept buried and now that it was surfacing, he would hear every word of her rant and offer his own two cents when the moments presented themselves.

"My mother put aside her career shortly after she became pregnant with me. I think it's because she didn't want any of us to grow up without a mother like she did, and continuing in this line of work could easily rob a child of that. She was happy that she would be able to start her own family and help continue our family's legacy to help Remnant prosper. When I was born, that was when the cracks began to show," she continued.

"What the fuck?" Blackburn narrowed his eyes at her.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. How the hell can you say something like that about yourself?"

Winter's eyes grew sharp and she turned in her spot on the couch to face him fully, not once letting go of her beer.

"I'm not done yet, so don't get judgmental with me!" She pointed a hard finger at him.

Blackburn had opened his mouth to retort back, but quickly closed it after taking a deep breath. He would only make things worse if he let his emotions get the best of him. This was a side of Winter he was not used to seeing and it was one that he wanted to disappear. He loved her confident and her newly developed laid back personality that he had seen all day more.

"I was born and my mother had a new sense of purpose with the responsibility of being a parent. She was the one who raised me for most of my younger years with the help of our family butler, Klein. Father was busy running the company and spent time with us when he could, but it never felt like a family bond. It felt more like a business when it came to him," said Winter.

The frown came back to Blackburn's lips and he drank down the rest of the beer in his bottle before setting it back in the pack. His hands pulled out the next one and opened it in an attempt to catch up with Winter and to loosen up the uncomfortable tension that had come with her story.

"It started slow and I was still too young to understand what was going on, but I saw it and could sense it. My parents fought a little more in front of me and my father kept trying to prep me into becoming the next heir to the Schnee Dust Company. My mother felt I should have a choice and that was always the starter to their fights. Then I noticed my father seemed happier when my mother became pregnant with Weiss. Possibly because he had another chance shape her into someone like him, but he did not give up on me either."

On and on her story went and Blackburn only got more uncomfortable. The birth of Weiss had left Jacques disgruntled because it was clear he wanted a son, but he still carried on with his goal of making Winter and Weiss suitable for the business world to continue their expansion, all but destroying the very foundation that the Schnee Dust Company had been founded on. As the Schnee Dust Company expanded and needed more employees for mining dust, Jacques had shifted to hiring more Faunus under the pretense of equal opportunity and that was more than enough to quickly exceed the growth of their employment needs.

For a brief time the employment of Faunus had casted a divine light on the company, but it was not long before news began to surface about the working conditions that the Faunus had to go through. They started to unionize and come out about the terrible working conditions, their low payment and lack of help from the human resources department. Whenever Jacques was questioned about it during conferences, he had offered no comment or dismissed it as disgruntled workers complaining about trivial matters no different than other businesses go through. The infamous incident that truly shed light on Jacques' view of Faunus and the questions regarding the mining conditions came to fruition when there was a massive mine explosion at their largest mining depository in Central Atlas.

A gas main had exploded and caused the tunnels to collapse, killing over three hundred workers. It took weeks to dig through the ruins and recover all the Faunus that died and it left the mine unserviceable which caused the Schnee Dust Company to take a heavy hit. To add salt to the wound, Jacques had said it was a waste of resources to dig for the Faunus because it only burned more money. That was all it took for the Schnee name to be seen with disdain by Faunus and some humans alike. His words had painted a target over them ever since.

During that timeframe, Whitley was born and that had elated Jacques. He now had the son he always wanted, but Winter was older and more than capable of reading between the lines. She could see what their father was trying to do. His constant fights with her mother over the family name and company had led the woman to drink, not enough to reach alcoholism, but it was close. It all came to a climax during Weiss' birthday one year when their fight resulted in Jacques striking her mother across the face and revealing that he only married her for the Schnee fortune.

"My mother had been growing distant before that fight with a glass of wine here and there, but after that fight it became a bottle here and a bottle there. She detached herself from all of us and kept herself secluded somewhere in the house for hours on end with her alcohol. Whenever we found her, she was always passed out with an empty bottle," said Winter as she took another drink.

Blackburn held his tongue and kept his eyes on the woman in front of him. Her voice had become tired and her cheeks were now flushed. Her eyelids were drooping just a little as the beer worked its way through her system and began to make her drowsy. He kept his thoughts to himself.

 _"Oh man, that's fucked up."_ He resigned himself to another sip.

He was not ignorant of dysfunctional families and had seen a couple of them on both TV and in person, but Winter's family was the only one he was closely familiar with now. She had been very quiet about them until now and he could see why. They were hands down the most dysfunctional family he had come across in his life.

"I filled the void she left behind and had to be both a mother and sister to Weiss and Whitley. Klein was there to help, but he could only do so much. I taught both of them everything that our parents taught me, more so my mother's teachings because I felt that is what they needed. The only part of my father that I filtered to them was to push them to be aggressive with what they wanted, but it was also a trait my mother had and has now lost," said Winter.

She hung her head and rested her forehead on her hand and fell silent for a minute. The brief break was only filled with the light humming from the ending credits of the movie they had long forgotten.

"This is where I experienced failure and I hate to fail. I failed Whitley and couldn't get him to think for himself. My father got to him before I did and molded him into someone who obeyed, never questioned. The perfect pawn. When I tried to explain this to Whitley he grew angry and we had a fight and he told me I was defiant like my mother and Weiss and said that he hated me," she continued.

She took another deep breath and it left her shakily. It was clear she was holding back her tears, but they never fell. Her strength was very present as she did everything to keep her emotions at bay. Blackburn suspected it had something to do with the leadership concept that was instilled by the military for each soldier, but angled more towards the leaders. A leader had to keep their emotions at bay so they could lead their men effectively. If they broke in front of them, it led to a loss of confidence and faith in their men. That concept was very true, but not right now. Right now it was just the two of them. Two good friends that could confide in each other about anything and not be judged.

Winter needed to know that, but he kept quiet, still sensing she still had more to say.

"I also failed Weiss. I left her alone when I left for Atlas Academy and she had to deal with Father. She was strong and I felt she would make the right decisions and after seeing her now I know she did, but I still shouldn't have done that," she said.

The bottle she had in her hand was polished off and it shook lightly as she clutched it tight around the neck.

"My mother's absence forced me to grow up early! I didn't deserve that and she put that on me because she resorted to this!" She held up the bottle and met his eyes.

Blackburn's eyes flicked to the bottle, but reverted back to her. He could only sit in silent wonder at not seeing any tears in the woman's eyes. She fought them back and refused to let them fall. Not even a trace of a shimmer, but the hurt was clear as day.

"I honestly hoped that my defiance against Father with Weiss would have been enough to bring her back, but it was just wishful thinking. In the end, I'm just like her." She shook her head.

By this point, Blackburn had heard enough. It was his turn to speak and calm her down and reassure her that she was wrong. Before she could speak again, his hand reached out and took the one holding her bottle. Her breath hitched for a moment and she met his gaze again.

"Winter, listen to me. I'm not going to lecture you here, but I don't think you should be spiteful towards your mother," he said.

She got ready to speak, but he stopped her by tightening his grip on her hand.

"I don't condone what she did. It was unfair she put all of that on you, but she's human. We all screw up and make mistakes and this was a big one she made, but you have to think about this for a minute. Kids become who they are by the way their parents raise them, but your mom's absence is what made you into the woman you are. Strong, confident, independent, reliable and beautiful," he continued.

His mind was on autopilot as his words came to him, but they felt right. He vaguely remembered his father saying that if you said something passionate to someone you cared about, no thought was required. Your mind was programmed to be sincere about the concepts it comprehended and they came into light when in trusted company.

Winter said nothing as she continued looking back at him in silence. Warmth radiated from her hand as he continued to hold on to it.

"If you want my honest opinion, I think your mother needs you just as much as you need her. Going home to this banquet is your chance to reconnect with her and fix it. In my eyes, this is no different than my relationship with my dad. I hated him for the longest time for always being gone, but I wanted him in my life and it took me a while to swallow my pride and open up to let him in. If you want to go through with this, you need to do that, too." He finally let go of her hand.

He brought his beer to his lips and tilted his head back to let the last of it go down his throat. A satisfied smack left his lips before he sat the empty bottle back in the pack and turned his eyes back to the TV. The movie had returned to the main menu. Their talk had gone on for well over an hour and he missed it, but it took precedence over something he could watch with just the click of a button. With that in mind, his hand went to the remote to replay the movie. His hand only found the couch, but he looked at the TV after hearing a beep and the movie started up again.

Winter's hand lowered the remote and she placed the empty bottle of beer beside his on the table and flashed him a genuine smile, one that reminded him of the one Alison gave him the day she agreed to go to the prom.

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't worry about it. It's cool." He dismissed it with a shake of his head and a smile of his own.

He kicked his legs up and rested his heels on the table and let out a yawn as his arms stretched the length across the back of the couch. Definitely laid back, but he was in good company with Winter. She had known him long enough to give him some leeway with his habits.

"Can I ask you something?" Winter spoke up.

"Yeah," he said back to her.

She shifted again and let her legs stretch out. She nestled into the couch and folded her arms, her feet fell just shy of his leg. Her cheeks were still flushed from the beer she drank, but she looked fully aware and curious with what she wanted to ask.

"You said it took a while to reconnect with your father, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, took some time," he said as he looked back at her.

"I'm just curious, but what was the best memory you had with him after you made up?"

He blinked in mild surprise at the question, but he would answer it. In truth, it was one memory he found himself reflecting on now more than ever after he came to Remnant. Almost daily, really.

"Okay," he began.

A small smile stretched across his lips and a light chuckle left him.

"It was during my junior year of high school. Dad just got home from his deployment right before deer hunting season, so he comes up to me on a Friday night and tells me he's pulling me out of school for the week to go hunting. We went up to my uncle's cabin in Wisconsin the next day and got up to hunt on Sunday. We got nothing that first day and actually ended up getting snowed in for a few days because of a blizzard. Spent the last two days tunneling out of the driveway and going back home," he said.

Winter's cheeks perked up and she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"That sounds terrible," she said.

He only shook his head and his smile remained.

"Actually, it was very nice. Just spending a whole week with my old man hunting, shooting the shit and hearing stories about his deployment. God knows I'd give anything to relive that week again, you know?" Blackburn answered.

It was true. That had to be one of, if not the best week of his life. He had spent so much of his younger years angry with his father and hating him for the longest time for leaving him and his mother behind as he went overseas one year after the next. Despite all of that, he wanted his father in his life more than anything and the one he needed to stay on the right path.

When he swallowed his pride and went to mend the bridge between them, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. A mutual understanding had formed between them and it only grew stronger and filled with respect when he decided to enlist and follow in his father's footsteps. His father became the one he could confine in about anything and was arguably his closest friend.

That one week in the frozen, snow covered woods was something he would cherish for as long as he lived. He could almost picture the slow walk through the woods that day, following close behind his dad to their tree stand, stepping in each of his footprints with snow crunching below. Their faces red from the cold and their noses running as they sat in the stand shaking lightly, scanning the trees in hopes for seeing the buck of the day to shoot and haul back in the truck. They had seen plenty of does and fawns, but no bucks. The two of them stayed persistent and did not complain about the cold as the day turned into night.

The memory itself made him reflect for a fleeting moment about his current situation. Ever since he arrived on Remnant that night, he had been unsure of his true state of mind. He still firmly believed that he had either died back on Earth or was comatose, but there was no way to be certain. In some wild thoughts that became too convoluted for his taste, he guessed he may have truly died and was going through some cycle of purification to be given final judgment. If he was comatose, he would have woken up by now, right? Sure, there was the indefinite coma, but that was unlikely.

Instead, here he was on Remnant. Carrying out his daily life like he did while he was deployed as though nothing had happened. It was surreal for his taste and sent a chill down his spine.

He was not sure what scared him more. Living his life out on Remnant as though nothing had happened, or the fact that his squad and possibly his parents knew his true condition and he did not.

Blackburn was broken from his thoughts after feeling a gentle nudge on his thigh. His eyes trailed back over to Winter to see her sleeping soundly. Her feet had brushed up against him as she shifted in her sleep to get comfortable. Seeing this made him smile. She had worn herself out after their talk and finally succumbed to the one thing she needed. Sleep.

A yawn climbed from the depths of his chest and escaped him a second later. He could use some sleep himself.

He sighed and got up slowly from the couch to keep Winter from waking up. He powered down the movie and the TV. His hands were fast with picking up the empty bottles of beer they drank earlier and he made his way to the garbage. When he disposed of the trash he went back over to the couch and grabbed the blanket that rested on top of it.

He draped the blanket over Winter and her body seemed to relax from its rigid state as it fought off the cold. He watched her for a couple of seconds and once he was sure she would not wake, he crept to the door and hit the lights.

"See you in the morning, LT."

* * *

 **"Omake: It Goes to 11!"**

Weiss' heels clicked on the floor as she walked to Professor Blackburn's office. Between her fingertips was her latest assignment that he had graded and the grade was not bad in the eyes of a normal person, Weiss was displeased with the red inked 'A-" at the top. She had spent hours working on the paper and to have it come back anything less than an 'A' was unacceptable. She would fight for those extra points and was not afraid to try and get them.

"An A minus? I will not settle for this!" She stomped up to his door.

The door was shut, but the light was on behind the glass and the muffled sound of music emitted from behind it. She reigned her temper in enough to be civil with her knock as her knuckles rapped on the door firmly. When no response came, she tried once more. This time she was met by hurried footsteps and the gentle scratches of claws on the other side of the door.

A small smile came to her lips when she heard Zwei's low whining from the other side. Testing the knob, it turned and the door creaked open to reveal an empty office and a panting corgi at the door's entrance.

"Hi, Zwei!" Weiss bent down to scratch the dog.

Her fingertips gently grazed the sweet spot behind his ears and his nose turned up and his tongue found its mark on her wrist. She stepped inside the office and closed the door behind her.

"Professor?" She spoke up.

No response.

She signed and walked over to the empty chair in front of his desk. Her classes had finished for the day and she had time to kill, so she decided to wait for the young professor to return.

Her eyes scanned the office and she took note of the cleanliness. It wasn't too surprising as she thought about it. Although Blackburn was not much older than her and her friends, he carried himself professionally. His former time as a soldier likely played a part in the state of his office as well. Neat and orderly.

Her head turned to his desk when her ears picked up a faint sound from the terminal on his desk. His scroll was locked in and charging, but she could see that it was being kept open by playing music. Out of curiosity, she took her finger and touched the screen. The scroll lit up and her eyes widened in brief surprise when she saw the bountiful playlist of music stored on it.

She was fairly aware of the professor's fondness for music since he played it during class whenever Glynda let him run the spar sessions, but she did not expect him to have something that equated to a small library.

"Over four days of music?" She said under her breath as her eyes fell on the total playtime.

Now she was definitely curious at what awaited her in the list of music. She pulled her chair up closer and she sifted up and down the playlist trying to find names of artists she knew, but after spending a few minutes of doing so, she recognized nothing. A whole library of music that she had the chance to sample.

Her thumb did another swipe and she waited for the screen to halt on a group of bands.

 _"Pantera?"_ She pressed down on the name.

Album covers popped up and she tilted her head at the artwork for them. The covers were a giveaway to the band's style and the one Weiss was currently eying had piqued her interest.

"Let's trying this one..." Her thumb pressed the cover and the song list popped up. "I'm Broken?"

With nothing left to lose, Weiss raised the volume a little bit and her fingertip tapped the song. The speakers burst to life and made her jump in surprise as the loud and heavy riff of a guitar greeted her with full force. She was quick to recuperate and could only lean back in her chair and listen in the brutal riffs as they met her. When the vocals came, it was like getting a delicious, full course meal.

She was rooted to the spot all the way until the song faded out. Her head shook and she finally managed to blink.

"Oh my word, that was spectacular!" She scooted forward to see the next song on deck. "Mouth for War?"

She had to reel back when the music came to life again, but this time a full blown smile was on her face. Out of all places to find the golden ticket of music, she just had to go to her professor's office! As long as she was waiting, she would milk this playlist until Blackburn got back.

Time seemed endless as Weiss listened to one group after the next and introduced to the wonders of AC/DC, All that Remains, Metallica, Eminem, Megadeth, Sevendust, Breaking Benjamin, Shaman's Harvest, this list went on and on, but she loved every second she heard.

By the time she got up from her seat in the chair, almost four hours had past. Her neck was sore and a light headache accompanied it from the constant bobbing of her head to the music. Her arms raised to the air and her back and neck popped lightly as she stretched. Her attention turned to the door as it opened and Blackburn and her sister were in the doorway, both looking surprised to see her.

"Weiss? What are you doing here?" Blackburn asked as he entered the room, ruffling Zwei's head when he scampered up to greet him.

"I was waiting for you, but I was just leaving," she answered with a light glare.

"Oh, sorry about that. Your sister was putting me through the ringer."

At this, Winter merely rolled her eyes.

"Did you want to talk now?" Blackburn asked.

"No. I will talk with you tomorrow, Professor. Right now I need to have a word with Winter." Weiss shook her head.

"Oh, okay. Let me know when you want to talk."

"I will."

Weiss bowed her head at him in thanks and made her way to the door. Her fingers pinched the sleeve of her sister's uniform and pulled with enough force to surprise her.

"Weiss, what are you..." Winter began.

"Come with me," she answered back.

She led Winter down the hall and around the corner. Once they were out of earshot from Blackburn's office, Weiss rounded on her sister. Her confronting body language made Winter take a brief step back so she could meet her eyes.

"Do you mind telling me what this is about?" Winter rose a brow.

Weiss said nothing and crossed her arms. Her foot tapped lightly on the floor. This was something she always did when they were younger when she wanted something, and it normally worked on Winter. For the first time in a long time, she was dusting off her old tantrum to make her point known.

"Winter, I have only one thing to request of you," said Weiss as she held up a finger.

"What is it?" She asked back.

"Marry that man!"

Needless to say, almost everyone in Beacon heard a shriek of disbelief that followed the younger Schnee's request.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

 **Hey everyone, I'm finally here with a very late update. I apologize for this and I have a valid excuse for why. I've been put on a 90 day tasker and am currently in Fort Knox working a job and it was a last minute pull, so the week this was supposed to go up, I had to get my paperwork and gear ready to go. To make matters worse, the quarters I'm in did not have WiFi, so I had to improvise and get a connection set up through Spectrum. I'm up and running now, so this is the update. With that being said, my schedule is six days on and six days off for this job, so I will have little time to write since I'm working early days and late nights, around 16-17 hour days, so updates will be limited until May. Be sure to check out the statements and review responses below, and I'll see y'all next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) At this time the update schedule is being taken down due to my limited time to write. I will update when I can, but as of now it is being disregarded until mid May.**

 **2.) I currently have a new poll up for the story here on my profile page regarding a possible sequel to the story if people would like to see one. It will remain up for the remainder of the story and the final votes will be the decision maker for me on whether the sequel is a go or no.**

 **3.) I hope y'all like what I did with Winter's rant. I did everything I could to keep it from being too cliché, but in the end I'm happy with how it turned out. Hopefully you all liked it.**

 **4.) There is now artwork for the story! You can find the link on my profile page, just take out the spaces!**

 **Military Terms:**

 **LT: Lieutenant**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Maverick058: Oh yeah, Blackburn's a Cav Scout. He mentioned it way back in chapter five and it has been alluded to a couple of times. I'm happy to see that you liked the backstory I gave Yatsuhashi. Thanks a bunch for the review!**

 **redx1221: No worries about the apology, it's cool. Regarding your question about the CFVY members all getting one on one time with Connor and whether or not Velvet will get any, she will. Hers will be coming up within the next couple of chapters here. Don't worry, she'll get her screen time. Thanks a bunch for the review!**

 **Shadowolf: Well, I hate to break it to you buddy, but you can't really call something when it's been stated. Thanks for the review!**

 **OBSERVER01: Yup, they cleared the air, but they will have one more key point in the story regarding trust since that was what I wanted their relationship to focus on. Glad you liked the little backstory for Yatsuhashi and Velvet. Thanks a bunch for the review!**

 **wpago: Having the picture is one thing and so is showing it to the tailor, but the thing is that he would look jacked up since Remnant won't have the medals needed to go for his uniform. Can't disrespect the blues like that. Thanks for the continued reviews! I'm glad you enjoy the story!**

 **CT7567Rules: I'm glad I gave Yatsuhashi and Velvet background, too. They need for love in the fandom. Well, coming up in the next couple of chapters you'll see what happens with the banquet between Team CFVY, Blackburn, Winter, and the White Fang. Blackburn wouldn't be much of a pilot. He's a grunt and loves kicking doors and killing bad guys. In regards to Blackburn and Coco's relationship, it will be touched on more in the story, but it will not carry into the Vytal Festival since the story will end before that in the timeline. The story takes place between the events of the Breach and the Vytal Festival in volume 3. Thanks a bunch for the review!**


	34. Formal

**What's up, everybody? I'm back with a long awaited update and because I know that there has been a lack, I went the extra mile and made this a long chapter for y'all sitting at 30 pages with over 13k words, so hopefully this will tie you over until the next update. Thanks a bunch for the continued support with the follows, favorites, hits and reviews. It means a lot to me.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks_

* * *

The massive mansion welcomed the group in the early afternoon the next day. They had been curious with what Winter's house would look like and were blown away by the sight alone. It was more of a castle than an actual mansion that one would expect from a billionaire. The stone structure was solid white and mixed with marble pillars that ran up the entirety of the entrance. Towers stood on the corners of the estate and cast shadows over the courtyard that was paved with cobblestones and perfectly trimmed hedges that divided the neatly cut lawn.

Coco let out a whistle as she looked up at it through her shades.

"You grew up here?" She asked over her shoulder to Winter.

"Yes," said Winter.

"Can we expect a grand tour?"

"I suppose I can have Klein show you all around."

"Nice! I wonder what our rooms will look like."

"I'm sure they will exceed your standards."

Coco beamed at Winter and slung her arm around Velvet's shoulders.

"We're living the high life now, Vel! Let's go check it out!" She began to drag her away.

"Uh, Coco, I think we should wait to be shown to our rooms," Velvet spoke up.

"Where's your sense of adventure?"

Before the two could go any further, they were greeted by a smaller man. The man was bald but had groomed brown hair on the back of his head and a bushy mustache. He was dressed in black and had a light blue tie tucked under his vest with not a single crease visible. His brown eyes were warm and welcoming and the smile on his face grew when he met them.

"Oh, welcome! You must be Miss Schnee's guests!" He greeted happily.

"That's right! Who are you?" Coco grinned back.

The man perked up and gave a polite bow to the two of them before smiling.

"Klein Seiben, Miss! I've been the butler for Miss Schnee's family for a long time now!" He said in return.

Klein's brown eyes shifted to Winter and he greeted her with another smile. Winter, however, surprised everyone by moving up to him and wrapping him up in a hug which he returned in full.

"It's so good to see you again, Klein," said Winter pulling away from him.

"And you as well, Miss Schnee. You've grown so much since I've last seen you," said Klein.

Blackburn silently observed Winter's warm and welcoming smile as she reconnected with her old caretaker. He only knew of him from their talk the night before, but he could already tell that the man before him was the one who had more of a fatherly connection with her than her true father.

"Your father will be expecting you tomorrow night as the opening party for the banquet. I trust your friends here are to be with you when that happens?" Klein asked her, sparing them a quick look.

"Yes. We will be at the dining hall an hour before it starts," said Winter.

Klein nodded and Blackburn noticed his eyes fall on him for a long minute. He watched them flick back to Winter and then to him. His eyes widened slightly, but they carried a knowing gaze a second later. Was it possible he figured out that Winter had willingly invited him instead of her father setting her up this time? It was likely.

"Well, let me show you to your rooms. I'm sure you must be tired from the long flight here and would like some rest," said Klein as he turned on his heel.

They followed the small man out of the courtyard and into the mansion's entrance. Inside was almost as grand as the courtyard. Spotless floor shone and reflected light from the windows and ceiling. Polished suits of armor flanked both sides of the doorway. A grand staircase led to the upper floors and was covered in a long blue carpet. High above, a chandelier overlooked the hall.

Klein led them up the staircase and they followed in awestruck silence. Winter's home was no joke in Blacburn's eyes. He could admire the architecture and the grandness of the mansion, but if he were to be honest, it was a bit much for him. Perhaps it had to deal with his upbringing and not being rich, but he could never understand why someone with so much money would strive for such a magnanimous appearance. So much could be brought out of the simplest things, this needless flaunting was overkill.

His eyes took in some of the décor, namely the paintings that hung on each hallway they traversed. They consisted of landscapes, buildings, and past family members. There was only one that caught his eye, though. Shortly after passing a small parlor that had a grand piano in it, there was a large family portrait. His feet came to a stop and he turned to look at it.

The portrait looked expensive as it was bordered with gold frame and looked fresh. In the portrait were five people, two of whom he could instantly recognize as Weiss and Winter. Seated between them was a young boy who had neat hair and was smiling without a care in the world. Was that Whitley? Behind them was an older man with black hair turning white with age, his mustache small and trimmed that he could only assume was Jacque. To top it off a woman that looked like Winter and Weiss, just older.

He frowned as his eyes did another sweep of the portrait. Only two people looked happy, Jacques and Whitley. Winter, Weiss and her mother looked miserable. The family was superficial and the dysfunction clear as day. This was not the model family one would find portrayed in media commercials or in department store catalogues. This was the one that would be hidden and only seen from those that were close to them.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Klein's voice broke him from his thoughts.

Blackburn almost jumped out of his skin. He didn't even hear the man walk up to him and he caught him by surprise.

"Yeah…" he answered back, still recuperating from the abrupt arrival.

"I've been with this family for almost thirty years and I still have a hard time remembering any of these girls smile," said Klein with a sigh.

His brown eyes drooped, but then something interesting happened. When the man blinked, the color of his eyes shifted to red, like something out of an old Looney Tunes cartoon when one of the characters got angry.

"That's what you get for trusting a slimeball with an overinflated ego." He sneered.

Even his voice had changed. It was filled with rage and the vibe it brought did not suggest the slightest care of whoever heard his opinion of the house patriarch.

"Right," Blackburn could only answer in return.

He was at a loss for words. Before he could even ask the first thing that popped into his head, Klein's eyes shifted from red to green.

"Forgive me, that was out of line. I don't mean to give you the wrong impression of Mister Schnee. That should be for you to decide," he said sheepishly.

What was going on here? Blackburn only narrowed his eyes in fascination at the man beside him.

"Don't worry about it, it's cool. I ain't going to say anything," said Blackburn.

Klein looked back at him and his eyes shifted once more back to brown.

"I would have guessed as much," said Klein. "You don't seem like the type of person to do that."

He shook his head in return and smiled back at the man. They turned their eyes back to the portrait and stood in silence.

"When was this taken?" Blackburn asked.

"About eight years ago," said Klein with a sad smile. "My, time flies so fast. I can remember Nicholas Schnee hiring me and meeting Willow my first day here. Both of them were so generous and kind. But now…"

The butler shook his head with a low sigh and his brow furrowed in thought. His eyes shifted to red once more as he stared at Jacques' in the portrait.

"A few costly decisions and a man with questionable intentions was all it took to change this family. The only good to come from it were those two girls there." Klein nodded at Winter and Weiss.

Again, the quick change of personality was a little unsettling, but Blackburn was able to dismiss it. He was able to focus on the man's words and they lined up with what Winter and him talked about the night before. However, it was a little disheartening to hear that about Whitley. From the look of it, the kid was young and not able to figure things out for himself. He could just as easily be a victim of circumstance. Sure, Winter mentioned her frustrations with her brother's quickness to appease their father, but was it truly something he could be faulted for?

Maybe Whitley was just trying to be a good son by going with his father's wishes? Not only to make up for the disobedience from Winter and Weiss, but to receive acknowledgement. It would make some sense in his eyes since boys all seek their father's approval at one point, but until he met the boy himself, Blackburn would give him the benefit of a doubt.

"So, you're the man Miss Schnee invited as her guest, correct?" Klein turned to look at him.

Blackburn straightened up and met Klein's eyes, his mind breaking away from the family portrait.

"Yes, sir." He nodded back.

Klein looked him up and down with a critical eye.

"You must have made a good impression if she invited you, Mister…" He cupped his chin.

"Blackburn, sir. Connor Blackburn." He held his hand up.

"Mister Blackburn, a pleasure to meet you. Please ensure that Winter enjoys herself tomorrow night."

Klein gripped his hand tightly and shook it, but before he could let go, the man's grip tightened to new levels. His eyes shifted back to a threatening red and a wicked smirk danced under his mustache.

"If you make her cry, you'll find my skills carry far beyond that of a butler," said Klein.

Blackburn blinked and gave a slow nod. He was glad that he had nerves of steel that kept him from shuddering at the man's threat. A slow breath escaped him once Klein let go of his hand and the friendly smile came back to the man's face.

"Right, well, let's get you to your room!" He turned on his heel to lead him back down the hall.

Blackburn gave one last sideways glance to the portrait before shaking his head and following after Klein.

 _"Jesus Christ, this guy makes Norman Bates look normal."_

* * *

After getting set up in his room, Blackburn, Coco, Fox, Yatsuhashi and Velvet were given a tour of the manor. It had everything that one would expect someone of wealth to have. Lavish furniture, pristine design, endless rooms, balconies and a large kitchen where the staff was hard at work making the final preparations for that night's dinner and for the banquet tomorrow. What Blackburn was most interested in seeing was the hall where the banquet would take place. Not because he wanted to admire it, but because he wanted to see the layout.

It was imperative to know your terrain and where you were operating when down range, and his soldier nature kicked in to allow him to do just that. During their walk around the manor he made note of all vantage points, key entrance ways and halls that led inside to allow for fast infiltration or exfil if the White Fang were to break contact. The hall was a big concern.

The hall was large to put it simply, capable of holding up to over seven hundred people. Towards the back end there were windows that stretched to the ceiling and gave an exit to the garden outside and a line of sight to both the southwest and southeast rooftops where a well-placed shot could take out Jacques.

Security was being provided by some contracting company to go on top General Ironwood's detail to include himself, Team CFVY, Winter, Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle. If what Junior had told them was true, the White Fang were posing as employees of the contracting company that was hired. If they were smart about it, they would not make it too obvious by attacking Jacques outright. They would be more discreet, especially now that they knew they were there to provide additional support. No mistakes could be made.

Blackburn let his fingers drum on his leg as he leaned back in his bed. He had not taken a break since the uneventful dinner they had hours ago. His head was now aching from the constant thought and he needed some reprieve. With that in mind, he swung his legs off of his bed and made his way to the door. During the tour of the mansion his eyes caught sight of the side room where the liquor was being stored. There was some whiskey in there with his name on it.

His footsteps were almost nonexistent as he crept the deserted halls of the mansion. Moonlight illuminated the dark halls through the windows to give him perfect sight of anyone that could come at the last second. Sure, he could make an excuse to his late night stroll, but it would be too obvious of what he was really doing. There was no chance anyone would let him get away with sneaking a bottle of alcohol, so he had to be vigilant.

He stopped by the corner to the hall and peered around it. It was clear. He moved quickly to the large door and his hand rested on the handle. A quick turn and the door opened with a low creak. He eased his way into the room and flipped the light on and felt a wide grin stretch across his lips.

In front of him was the holy grail of liquor storages. Both sides of the room had shelves stocked with alcohol, some bottles were even covered in a thin layer of dust. He slowly made his way down the aisle and his eyes swept both sides. Something good, something good had to be in here. He came to a halt a second later when his eyes fell upon what appeared to be the whiskey.

"Let's see what they got…" His hands began turning bottles.

One after the next met his eyes, but he could not find one that really caught his eye. He would always have three types of whiskey back home. The Famous Grouse, Jim Beam, or the well-known Jack Daniels. Tonight he was feeling scotch. Just as he was about to settle for a rye, he found one bottle tucked behind another.

 _"Screaming Eagle?"_ He pulled it out.

Whether it was a coincidence that the scotch was named after one of the most decorated units in the U.S. Army, he did not care. It caught his attention and he would give it a chance. With the scotch in hand he turned to leave, but his heart was soon lodged in his throat.

Someone else was in there with him and he did not even hear her come in. She had been quiet as a mouse and her narrowed eyes were bearing into him. He had seen this woman before in the portrait earlier that day. Willow Schnee, Winter's mother.

The woman looked the same as she did in the family portrait, but there were some things that he noticed up close. Crows feet were under her eyes that gave away her age, but it did not detract from her appearance in the slightest. Apart from that, her skin was flawless and her hair was neatly kept in a tight bun. Her blue eyes were sharp as she stared at him and there was a noticeable flush on her cheeks.

If Winter's stories about her were true, it was possible that Willow was thinking along the same lines as him by getting a late night drink.

"Who are you?" Willow asked as she folded her arms.

"I'm here for the banquet tomorrow, ma'am. Winter invited me," he answered her.

Willow's brow arched in interest before it came down in realization.

"I see now. You must be that Blackburn boy that Klein mentioned," said Willow.

Blackburn only nodded back. He relaxed a little bit as the woman looked him up and down.

"Did I hear you correctly? You said that Winter invited you to the banquet?" She asked him.

"Yes ma'am, she did." He nodded again.

"That's a first. I would have figured you were another suitor that Jacques invited for her."

Willow inched her way around him and made her way down the end of the aisle. She reached up towards the top of the shelf where some bottles of wine rested. Her hand felt around the empty spot as if searching for another bottle. Perhaps the one she wanted was further back and she couldn't reach.

"Here, let me help," said Blackburn as he walked over to her.

He reached up to the shelf and his fingertips grazed a bottle. Standing on his tiptoes he was able to get a grip on the bottle and pulled it down. It was a bottle of red wine. He handed it to Willow who took it without hesitation.

"Thank you," she said after brushing it free of dust.

"No problem, but maybe you should take it easy for now. You look like you've had enough already," he offered back.

Willow's eyes flicked back up to him and seemed to grow sharper at his words. He was quick to guess that he overstepped his bounds with his last comment.

"I can hold my own. Besides, I don't think you're in much of a position to talk." She gestured at the bottle of scotch in his hand.

"Good point," he answered back with a sheepish grin.

A ghost of a smirk came to her lips and she eyed him up and down again.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your relationship with Winter?" Willow asked.

"I'm sorry?" Blackburn replied, a little thrown off.

"You heard me. I may not look it, but I know my daughter well enough to know that she hates these banquets and would avoid them outright if she could. So I'm curious to know why she invited you here of her own accord."

Blackburn only stared back at her silently impressed. It may have been easy to believe Willow was ignorant to everything around her with how detached she was with what he was told.

"I'm a friend of hers. I owe her a lot for training me and helping me stay alive, so when she asked me to come along I agreed to it," he answered back.

A small hum escaped the woman's lips. She uncorked the bottle of wine and took a long sip from it and closed her eyes and she relished in the taste.

"That's it? You're just doing this as a return for a favor?" Willow opened her eyes again.

"Well, when you say it like that it makes me sound like an asshole, but that's not what I meant. I came because I wanted to, ma'am. She's been my best friend since I came here and friends help each other out," said Blackburn.

Willow swayed a little as she tried to find a wall to lean on. She took another sip from the wine in her hand and let a breath ease out of her nose.

"What do you think of her?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked back.

"I mean how do you see her as a person, as your friend? Or perhaps you see her as something else?"

Blackburn opened his mouth and paused before closing it again. Where was all of this coming from? Sure, he and Winter were good friends and she was one of the best women he ever met, but there was more to it. She was easily one of the most beautiful women he met as well, although he didn't notice that until just recently. He had always seen her as another woman, but that night he saw her in Junior's club had him sneaking looks at her again and again. Something he hadn't done since he was with Alison.

If he was to be honest, that latter thought scared him. He enjoyed his relationship with Winter and even thinking about something more made his stomach twist, not in shame, but in fear. Alison took a toll on him and he was in no hurry to pursue another relationship. No point in doing that, anyway. Not when he would jump on the first chance he got to get back home. He would be no better than Alison if he did that, and no woman deserved that. It didn't matter if it was Winter, Coco, or another woman that caught his eye, he would do both of them a favor and steer clear of any intimate relationships.

Blackburn's eyes returned to Willow who was patiently waiting for his answer about Winter, albeit with narrowed eyes. It could have been due to impatience for his long pause, but it was likely because it was concerning her daughter.

"Winter's not only beautiful, but strong, intelligent and one of the most caring women I have met. She works hard and goes the extra distance to watch over those close to her. It could be Weiss or Whitley, or even one of her men that she commands, I've seen it firsthand. Hell, she's had my back since I started working with her and as long as I work with her, I will watch her back and look out for her," he answered.

Willow's face softened a little bit as he hit her with those words. She lightly swirled the bottle of wine in her hand.

"Nothing more than a good friend?" She raised a brow.

"I just got out of a relationship a couple months back, ma'am. I don't think I'm ready for another right now. It wouldn't be fair to do that to Winter if I don't have my heart in it and with what I want, it wouldn't last long," said Blackburn.

"Do you believe she thinks otherwise?"

"I don't think so, ma'am."

He was taken by surprise when Willow stepped up to him and reached for his face with her free hand. The rack behind him kept him from moving and he went rigid when he felt her dainty fingers grab his chin. His eyes were forced to look down into hers and then away when she turned his head.

"Shame. I would have thought you made a great impression on her if she invited you. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and you're handsome," said Willow as she let go of his face.

"Thank you, but trust me, I'm not the guy for your daughter. She deserves more than some broke country boy," he said with a shake of his head.

Maybe he was seeing things, but Willow appeared to have a small smile on her lips. It was gone as soon as it had come, her lips once again a thin line of indifference. She turned around and made to depart the room. When she reached the door she paused and spared him a look over her shoulder.

"You have your opinion, but you have a leg on the others. At least do her the courtesy of showing her a good night," said Willow.

With that, she left.

Blackburn only stared after the woman after she left and silently mulled over her words. He came to a moment later and left the cabinet and began his trek back to his room. Although Willow asked him to ensure Winter enjoyed herself during the banquet, it wasn't necessary. That was his task the minute he agreed to go and he would do everything he could to make sure it happened.

Tomorrow night it would just be the two of them. They would go through the motions by greeting Jacques and talking to anyone who talked to them, but none of that mattered. It was her night tomorrow.

* * *

Blackburn had slept well that night with the help of a glass of the Screaming Eagle he acquired from the liquor cabinet. It was easily one of the smoothest scotches he had and it was very hard not to have a follow on glass. He had to stop himself to stay sober and hangover free for today.

After waking up he started his day like he usually did, a quick workout and a follow up shower. It helped him keep true to his routine, but it also gave him the time to not only establish himself to the White Fang personnel that were posing as security and he was able to do recon around the manor once again. He was certain that the White Fang would go with the subtle approach and only loud if necessary. Similar to how the insurgents played back in Iraq and Afghanistan. These terrorists weren't stupid, they were very bright.

On his run he spent a long time looking at the southwest and southeast wings of the house that boxed in the main hall that he observed yesterday. It was his firm belief that there would be a marksman on one of the corners to get a clear shot at Jacques when the opportunity presented itself, more than likely during a speech when everyone would be focused on him to make a statement. The surprise assassination would not only shock people, but it also brought in the threat of Grimm with panic and it would give the White Fang the golden opportunity to escape.

It was essential that they kept the White Fang presence known strictly to Ironwood's detail. There was no telling who was compromised in Jacques' staff that was the foothold for the security team that was hired. Any release of information could jeopardize the plan and it was important to maintain the initiative in every operation. This was no different.

He had checked both the southwest and southeast rooftops and both offered a line of sight to the large window pane where the main table was visible. It would be a tight shot for whoever was taking it, but it was very doable in the hands of a capable marksman. With that in mind, he made it his personal goal to sit as close to Jacques as possible. That way when everything went sideways, he was right there and could get him to the designated safe room which would be the man's study on the second floor.

He sighed as he carefully drug his razor down his face to shave off the excess hair. Nothing fancy, but he needed to tighten up and look sharp. The hair raced down the sink as he rinsed the blade and did another look. Just a couple of finishing touches and he would have the perfect stubble.

The door to the bathroom opened and he saw a boy with messy white hair enter. Blackburn was quick to recognize Whitley, but this was his first time seeing the boy since he was absent along with his father from dinner the night before. When Whitley's gaze fell on him he looked somewhat surprised.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this was being used," he said.

Blackburn had to bite back a wise crack retort. He had to get a feel for Whitley before trying anything. Usually guys like him always busted each other's balls because it was viewed as a sign of friendship and it was also a key way to break the ice with the douchebag test.

"It's cool. Whitley, right?" Blackburn replied back.

"Yes. How do you know my name?" Whitley rose a brow.

"Your sisters told me about you."

Whitley's head perked up a little bit before a knowing look came to his face.

"I see. Hopefully nothing unpleasant?" He made his way to the second sink.

"No. That'd be rude," said Blackburn.

"Exactly. I believe first impressions are key, so I'm glad that neither of them have said anything ridiculous."

While Blackburn agreed with the boy's belief on first impressions, he was able to hear the arrogant tone in his voice. That already had him starting off on the wrong end, but he would try to test the boy further before giving a final opinion.

"A little young to be shaving, don't you think?" Blackburn gestured to his face.

Whitley's eyes narrowed slightly, but he was quick to roll them before giving a smirk.

"I would prefer a mustache or clean shave over a beard. Beards make one look unprofessional."

Blackburn shrugged it off. The kid was holding up so far, not getting defensive and sticking with his opinion. Admirable.

"I disagree. I think beards make a guy look more masculine, and I'll let you in on a secret. Chicks dig the beard," he answered.

"To each his own, Mister…" Whitley replied as he picked up a comb.

"Connor Blackburn."

Whitley reached out to him with his hand and Blackburn shook it. He could feel the strong grip and he was sure it was something that was instilled into him by his father. Possibly for his future as a businessman if what Winter said about him was true.

"Are you here for my father's banquet?" Whitley asked.

"Yeah. I'm attending as Winter's guest," said Blackburn.

"Interesting. She never struck me as one to bring a guest to one of Father's banquets with how dismissive she was of past suitors and how career focused she is."

The boy was observant too and clearly not detached with what he noticed. He would agree that Whitley had hit the nail on the head with his eldest sister.

"So can I assume that those others that came with General Ironwood and my dear sister her guests as well?" Whitley began to comb his hair.

"Yes. They're my students at Beacon, actually," Blackburn replied after setting his razor down.

He watched Whitley stop combing his hair briefly at his comment before washing the shaving cream from his face.

"So you are a professor at Beacon? I suppose that should have been obvious since my sister brought you here. In hindsight, she would more than likely invite someone from a similar line of work," said Whitley.

The boy's tone had shifted again, not arrogant like before, but it sounded more condescending than anything.

"Is something wrong?" Blackburn asked.

Whitley shook his head and set his comb down again so he could turn his full attention to him.

"I would say my opinion of Huntsmen is one of curiosity," he began. "I've heard the history of how the Huntsmen academies came to be after the Great War. How they're purpose is to be protectors of the world from the creatures of Grimm, but I feel it's a romanticized lifestyle for the naïve."

Blackburn could tell his patience and beliefs would be tested with this conversation and mentally prepared himself for what the boy would challenge him on. It may have been an overreaction on his part, but he had a gut feeling that it would be reminiscent to people who looked down on those in the military or criticized what they did without the slightest thought for the other's perspective.

"What do you mean?" Blackburn asked him.

"I mean, why hide the truth behind a profession that does not elaborate on its goals? Both of my sisters have followed similar paths. Weiss ran off to become a Huntress and Winter is now an officer with the Atlas Military. They have chosen to follow a path that is not only dangerous, but almost pointless," Whitley answered.

"Pointless how? I personally don't see how their decisions are a waste. I find it courageous to follow that line of work."

"Look at the Huntsman. They've been fighting this battle against Grimm for ages, and then you have a military when there has not been a war in almost eighty-five years. Why keep spending tax lien on these two powers when it can go to something more useful?"

"Because what's to stop something or someone from coming and threatening the peace we have now?"

His retort was a challenge for the boy.

"A simple talking point that has been used time and again to keep up needless spending," said Whitley with a shake of his head. "Nothing has happened because it would be foolish to start a war that cannot be won by simple means. Why not invest more into the businesses and bolster the economy or better healthcare for those that don't have their Aura unlocked? Both systems are just as fragile as this peace we've had for over eighty years, aren't they?"

"While no clear threat may be seen, there are others that can just as easily flip the tables and make things a living hell for everyone else. If that happens, I'd rather have a force that can be dispatched quickly to dispose of it. We're the guys that keep the fight from coming to your doorstep. We're the ones that volunteer so you don't have to. At the end of the day, people with your mindset will always need men like us," said Blackburn.

Whitley hummed and pursed his lips.

"Every country survives because of those that take up arms to defend it. Without a military, a militia or Huntsmen to protect it, it's vulnerable to takeover or collapse and becoming a failed state. Then you'll really have a problem on your hands," Blackburn continued.

"So which group do you belong to, Mister Blackburn?" Whitley asked.

"Former soldier turned professor. I may not be in the fight now, but the second one starts, you can bet I'll be the first running towards it to stop it from coming to people like you."

Whitley only shook his head.

"I suppose I'll have to continue trying to understand people like you. You all have a chance to live such a prosperous life, yet you choose to live in service to people above you who use you for their own agendas," he said.

"Someone like you will never understand this lifestyle that only one percent of us answer. We are born with a sense to answer a higher calling that can only be carried out by few. We can go into the most hazardous situations and stare death in the face and still make it home that same day to kiss our kids goodnight. Unless you serve as a soldier or Huntsman, you'll never understand it," said Blackburn.

"I suppose not."

Blackburn stared the boy down, neither one budging on their stances. Their opinions had clashed and come to a stalemate.

Whitley was the first to break the gaze as he turned away to finish combing his hair.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Blackburn. If you excuse me, I need to prepare for the banquet tonight," he said.

Blackburn tucked his razor back in his hygiene kit and slung his towel over his shoulder as he got ready to depart the bathroom.

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you too, you little cockbag." He opened the door.

"Excuse me?" Whitley glanced back at him.

"I said it was nice meeting you, too. See you tonight."

* * *

Winter had spent the majority of the day preparing for the banquet and talking over the security plan she had set up with her team. They would enter with the main party since they were her honorable guests. She and Blackburn would be sitting close to her mother and her father along with General Ironwood at the main table. Coco, Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi would be at the first table in front of theirs while Sergeant Green and Sergeant Doyle posted security at the doors leading into the mansion. Spaced out, but enough to keep a low profile.

She had taken the time to double and triple check her plans to ensure they offered the best measures to be taken when the White Fang made their move. Hindsight would come at the end of it all, but the level of it was unknown for now. It was something that filled her stomach with butterflies each time.

She shook her head and forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. She had had cleaned up and was now putting on the finishing touches. Her hands finished tying the braid in her hair to form her bun. She brushed her bangs to the side and gave herself a long look.

It had been a long time since she wore a dress like this, having been used to wearing her uniform day in and out for her duty. For some reason she could not explain it, but it felt like a breath of fresh air and she welcomed it. She turned to the side to try and spot any blemishes in her appearance. Her long white gloves ran almost the length of her arm and her dress was a midnight blue that gave way to baby blue near the bottom. As she turned around she could see the dress as it hugged her form.

She tried to give the most genuine smile she could, but it came out strained. If she were to try that downstairs, people would be able to tell she was uncomfortable. So she tried again and again, but had little improvement. A deep breath went through her nose and she closed her eyes to calm down. The stress was getting to her and she would be damned if she let that tarnish the hard work she put in to getting ready.

She took another breath and let her mind become empty. Right now it was just her, relaxing and just getting ready for another day. It started as something small, something that she enjoyed doing on a daily basis coming to her, and then another and another. Slowly she felt the corners of her mouth perk up and she opened her eyes. There it was. The perfect smile of a woman who was ready to enjoy her night out with good company.

It was good company, too. She had Coco, Fox, Velvet, Yatsuhashi, Sergeant Green, Sergeant Doyle, General Ironwood and Blackburn. Just thinking about the latter made her do another quick look of herself. Hopefully he would be speechless when he saw her.

Winter shook her head and looked down at the floor. The back of her neck burned under the light, but she knew it wasn't the cause of it.

 _"Where did that even come from?"_ She straightened up.

A hard knock came from the opposite side of the room.

"Hey Winter, you ready?" Blackburn's voice came through the door.

Her throat was dry and it took her a moment to find her voice.

"Yes, but come in here first and let me inspect you."

She smirked to herself when she heard the exasperated sigh on the other side of the door. It opened with a low creak and the gentle scuffs of the carpet met her as he entered the room.

"God, I hate wearing these fuckin' monkey suits," said Blackburn.

"What are you, a woman? Winter turned to look at him.

She was about to continue her playful comeback, but the words died in her mouth. Her blue eyes fell on Blackburn and she could not help but look him up and down. She knew he could clean up well after seeing him in Junior's club the week before, but now, she could only watch in silence.

His face had been shaved and his beard trimmed down to a light stubble. The black suit he wore clung to his broad shoulders and fit his frame well. His shoes were polished to produce a perfect shine. The blue button shirt was accompanied by a tie that was neatly tucked under his jacket.

"All right, get it out. I look ridiculous, don't I?" He held his arms up waiting for her sharp wit.

His words broke her from her stupor and she lightly shook her head. She folded her arms and smiled at him.

"No, actually, you look rather dashing," said Winter.

Blackburn rose a brow and then pointed at her.

"Who are you and what the hell did you do with Lieutenant Schnee?" He asked.

Winter rolled her eyes and walked over to him.

"Hush up and let me take a look at you," she said.

Winter stopped in front of him and her hands went to work in smoothing out some of the wrinkles on his suit. She moved behind him and made sure the collar of his shirt was not jutting out before making her way back to the front. As she did this, her fingertips could feel the toned muscle beneath the clothes.

She had seen them countless times during their spars and when she walked in on him shirtless, she knew just how strong he was. Whatever was there when she met him that first night had only become more defined during their training, and oddly enough, it was something she took pride in.

Her eyes fell upon his tie and she could see that the knot needed to be tended to. Her hands unfastened the tie and her fingers moved with the nimble dexterity that could make the oldest tailors jealous. She gave a firm pull and watched the knot come to a perfect rest under his collar.

"Thanks. I can't tie those things to save my life," said Blackburn.

"You're welcome." She smiled back. "So, who tied them for you?"

"Alison did. Then I'd just loosen it up and hang it for a quick cheat for next time."

"I don't know if I should praise you for being clever or scold you for being lazy."

"Whatever works for you."

Winter hummed and looped her arm into his.

"Well, since you cleaned up well, I suppose I can let this go," she said.

"Damn, if I knew looking sexy was all I had to do to get off the hook with you, I'd have done this sooner." He smirked back.

"Don't push it. And please do me a favor and keep the crassness to a minimum."

Blackburn shot her an amused glance and cocked his head.

"Anything else, Your Majesty?" He asked.

"Escort me down to the hall, please." She smiled back at him.

"Yes, ma'am."

They left her room and made their way down the empty hallways. When they reached the grand staircase they could hear the entrance hall echoing with conversation.

As they stepped on to the landing, Winter could almost feel all the eyes on her. She silently did a quick look around the entryway and could see dozens of men and women looking at her and Blackburn as they made their way down the stairs. Some whispered to one another while they made their way to the bottom of the stairs. The talk ranging from the way she looked to the man who she was arm in arm with.

She had to keep a laugh back as she saw some of the younger men eyeing Blackburn with envy, and it was there that she knew she made the right choice. Sneaking a glance at her date she could see the calm grin on his face. He carried himself with confidence and did not lower himself to taunt back those glaring at him. Something she loved in a man. Right now he was being a professional, but later when it was just the two of them, they would be laughing about it over some drinks.

Blackburn led her around the corner and down the hall until they reached the double doors to the ballroom. General Ironwood was waiting for them along with Team CFVY, Sergeant Green, Sergeant Doyle, Whitley, Willow and Jacques.

"Ah, there you are," said Jacques as he turned to them.

"Father," Winter said with a curt nod.

"I'm pleased that you could make it."

Jacques' eyes then shifted to Blackburn and narrowed just a little. He looked him up and down closely before looking back to her.

"Is this the man you told me about?" He asked.

"He is." She nodded again.

She caught a small glance from Blackburn as she tightened her grip around his arm. Her eyes were fixed on her father who had taken the time to step up to Blackburn and extend his hand.

"Introductions are in order. I'm Jacques Schnee," he said.

Blackburn returned Jacques handshake and a small curve of the latter's lips indicated it was a strong one. That was something Winter knew her father liked. The man was like most when it came to introductions and first impressions, and handshakes were a big one. If it was weak, they would be off to a bad start out of the gate, but if it was strong, Jacques would have some minor respect for them.

"Connor Blackburn. It's good to meet you, sir," he answered before letting go of his hand.

"We'll continue our conversation shortly. It's time for the banquet to start," said Jacques.

"Whatever works, sir."

Jacques nodded back and went back to Willow who did not hesitate to loop her arm in his. Winter guided Blackburn to stand behind her parents and they were followed by Team CFVY and General Ironwood.

Klein appeared and hurried over to the doors and pushed them wide open. Golden light met them and revealed the now heavily decorated hall. Tables were draped with expensive cloth and china for each guest. One bar area was on each end of the room and the doors to the gardens were open to allow for guests to converse and walk around at their leisure. Each door had a set of guards to deal with any threat or potential drunks.

The guards were wearing a mix of grey and black suits, but none of them showed any Faunus traits. Something that Winter made note of. If they could not be seen, it would make things more difficult to anticipate. A clever move on their end.

"So what usually happens next?" Blackburn whispered to her.

"Excuse me?" Winter faced him.

"What comes next? Do we head to the table? Kick it off with a dance?"

She perked up and lightly shook her head.

"It takes a while for the hall to fill up. My father would usually introduce me to my date at this time, but since you're here, he will be spending time trying to see who you are," she said.

"Got it. Anything I should know or any advice you can give me?" He asked.

"Don't shy from your beliefs if he challenges you and don't let him rile you up."

She felt him flex his arm that was looped with hers in acknowledgement just as her father returned with Willow by his side.

"Mister Blackburn, have you met Willow?" Jacques asked.

Blackburn nodded back.

"Yes, sir. I met her when I arrived yesterday."

Winter's eyes flicked between Blackburn and her mother and she could have sworn she saw the woman's mouth curved up in a small smirk. She watched him and her mother shake hands.

"How did you and Winter meet?" Jacques asked.

Although Winter was sure Blackburn would not do anything embarrassing or foolish, she still expected him to act like a wise ass to an extent. Their first meeting was far from pleasant and not something that would be looked on well in the light if her father heard it. In fact, it might just as easily cause him to ignore her for the rest of the night. It was tempting, but she was quick to snuff out that thought.

"I met her during a mission, sir. We got paired up during an operation against the White Fang," he answered.

While not entirely true, he was honest about the first part. It was understandable why he made the alterations to the story that he did. There was no way her father or her mother would believe the truth of his arrival to Remnant.

"You're a soldier?" He rose a brow.

Blackburn gave a nod.

"Former soldier, sir. I now work as an assistant professor at Beacon Academy under Professor Goodwitch. I currently oversee Weiss' training and I get tasked out to be Winter's partner now and then," he answered him.

Jacques cupped his chin at his response.

"I see. And how does Weiss compare to the other students?" He asked.

"One of, if not the best student I got, sir. She's very intelligent and her combat prowess holds limitless potential. I wouldn't be surprised if she surpasses Winter or Willow someday," said Blackburn.

Winter gave him a sideways glare, but it was more playful than anything. She knew full well that Weiss was a very capable Huntress and she had the potential to do just that. It may take her time, but she would eventually be one of the strongest Huntresses in her generation.

She snuck a quick look at her mother and could see a flicker of surprise in her eyes. That was a comment that she had not been expecting and it probably painted Weiss in a new light for her. Her mother had not trained Weiss, it had been her to do it, so that had to serve as extra shock.

"And what about Winter? How does she hold up as an officer for the military? James tells me she is one of his best, but it's natural for acquaintances to vouch for one another," said Jacques.

Winter felt her grip tighten around Blackburn's arm further. While his words were not untrue, she could already see where her father was taking this conversation and did not like it one bit.

"Sir, I apologize for the language, but no bullshit. Winter earned my respect by doing what a true leader is supposed to do. She helped with my training, I've seen her lead successful missions and make difficult decisions, and she takes care of her soldiers. In our line of work there are a lot of officers, but a lot of them I've seen are bad leaders. Winter is only the second officer I've come respect and would follow without question. The first officer was another lieutenant and my old platoon leader, Jack Coen," said Blackburn.

Winter's eyes cast down to the floor and she felt her heart cease momentarily before thumping to life with newfound vigor. She had seen it for herself. Blackburn would obey her orders without question now whenever they worked together and had not challenged her or disrespected her since their first mission together. Hearing it for herself was not only very assuring, but flattering.

"Would you follow her in an otherwise hopeless situation?" Jacques answered.

She flinched at his words and the faces of Sergeant Silva and Lieutenant Burns flashed through her mind. Two of her friends and two fellow leaders who fell under her command during a mission that she wished she could go back and fix every day.

"Yes, sir. She has my back and I have hers. If we're out there together the mindset is that it becomes about protecting each other. Politics, personal beliefs, and motivations mean nothing," said Blackburn.

"I see. In any case, your devotion is admirable," said Jacques as he straightened his tie.

"Thank you, sir."

Willow excused herself and turned to the direction of one of the open bars. She weaved her way through the crowds and disappeared from sight. Once she was out of sight, Jacques scoffed and shook his head.

"Typical," he muttered. "I apologize for Willow's rudeness."

Blackburn dismissed it with a shake of his head and smiled it off.

"It's fine, sir. I've already spoken with her before. When she feels like talking then I'll talk back."

"Perhaps. Now, before I tend to some of my other guests, perhaps you can enlighten me?" Jacques replied.

"Of course, sir."

"What are your long term aspirations?"

Winter held her tongue. This was her father's screening process to see whether or not the man before him was truly worthy of potential to marry someone of the Schnee name. It was ridiculous and biased and Winter could tell by a longshot that despite Blackburn's answer, he would be a dismissed candidate because of where he came from.

"Well, my plan at the moment is to stay at Beacon until I find my way home. After I get back, I will pick up where I left off by heading back into the military and following my dad's footsteps by serving until I reached all the goals I wanted. After that, maybe I'd like to settle down and have a wife and a couple of kids and take over the family business," said Blackburn.

Jacques perked up a little bit at the trail end of his comment.

"A business you say? What kind of business does your family run?" He asked suddenly interested.

"We run a repair shop in Piedmont, sir. Been there for almost forty years," said Blackburn.

Jacques' face fell, but the man steeled himself and cupped his chin.

"I've never heard of Piedmont, but I personally do not see how a business like that can be fulfilling. I can respect the challenge it brings, but that skillset does not sound ideal with what you want out of life," he said.

Winter snuck a glance at Blackburn and saw that the smile had left his face for the first time that night. It was replaced with a look of calmness and quiet confidence. Her friend shook his head and met her father's eyes again before speaking.

"With all due respect, sir, I don't believe that at all. I had to work for everything I had and learned a lot by doing so. The way I see it, I will always have a job and be able to support myself with what my skills offer. Businessmen like you come up with ideas and try to market them, but all it takes is one wrong move or investment to make you broke.

Guys like me may not make millions or have a high education, but we sure as hell make the most out of our earnings and have a sense of fulfillment that we were productive in helping the world go around another day. The god's honest truth is that without tradesmen like us, you would be nothing and this world would stop working. We'll always be needed and knowing that gives us a sense of pride."

Winter blinked and stood there silently impressed with his articulate response back to her father. His words held a lot of truth in them and offered a difference of opinion from the man before her who was a stickler for her suitors in the past. Every individual he chose had a similar mindset to his and conformed to whatever he believed as an easy acceptance. She despised weak people like that.

Her arm tightened even more around Blackburn's and she felt him return the gesture. When her eyes returned to her father she could see a flicker of surprise, but it was quickly snuffed and replaced with a look of indifference. The man adjusted his tie and cleared his throat.

"To his own, I suppose. If you will excuse me, I need to check in with some clients of mine. Please enjoy yourself and be ready to sit at the head table when the food is ready," said Jacques.

With that, the man excused himself from the two of them and made his way over to another circle of men that were well groomed and dressed in expensive suits. Once he was gone, Winter shook her head.

"I'm sorry about that," she said.

"Don't be. I've dealt with guys like him before, it's nothing new," Blackburn answered back.

"Still, you did not deserve to be scrutinized like that."

Blackburn shook his head and led her away from the table and through the crowd. She paid little mind to the people they passed and the looks they received. What had her attention now was where he was taking her.

Ahead she could see the crowds thinning out to reveal the open floor where dancing could take place. She quickly stiffened and a tingle went down her spine. She had attended formals before and went with the motions by dancing with her father's chosen suitors, but this was different. This time she was dancing with someone who was here for her and someone who had become her best friend. Her feet were rooted to the spot and she could only stare on in silent fear at what was about to come.

"You okay?" He whispered to her.

"Yes," she lied back with a nod.

She continued following him to the floor and they came to a stop at the center of it. The feeling of everyone's eyes on the pair of them sent a shudder down her goosebump riddled flesh. The vulnerability was almost unbearable and she could almost feel her foot inching away to get the smallest bit of movement to allow her a quick dash off the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Blackburn fiddling on his scroll before turning back to her.

"What's the password for the network here?" He whispered.

"Prosperous," she answered back.

She watched his thumb type in the password and he quickly went into his playlist. He would be commandeering the music so long as it entertained him. Knowing her father it would be possible he would figure it out, but he more than likely would pass blame on the one in charge of it.

Winter was broken from her thoughts when a few familiar notes met her. She felt Blackburn take her hand in his and could feel its strength as he gently held it up. His other hand found the small of her back and she felt it arch just a little in surprise. Once she relaxed, her eyes turned up to meet Blackburn's. He smiled down at her and started to guide her as Chris Cornell's 'Josephine' continued to play.

She was by no means ignorant of slow dances, having had a couple during past formals, but this time it was different. Each time before, Winter never felt a strong bond with her partner or any kind of connection with their personality. They would be able to sell the dance to whoever may have been watching them, but there was nothing there.

As Blackburn slowly guided her on the floor, she was able to follow his movements with grace. No stumble of the feet and no awkward eye contact that made her wish she was somewhere else. His hold on her was gentle and comforting, something that she only read about in stories when she was younger. The touch of a lover.

She followed Blackburn's movement and went with the spin. Her eyes could pick up the faces of guests that were looking on at them in silent judgment. The attention was nothing new given the past banquets she attended, but this time she could feel her skin flush.

Shyness? There was no other way to describe it. But why?

Fingertips ghosted from her back to her hip as Blackburn turned her and dipped her towards the floor. A small round of applause sounded, but she had trouble registering it as she was forced to look up at those damning brown eyes of her partner.

That was why. It was the only thing that made sense! She was having fun and feeling this way because she had a mutual connection with the man she was dancing with. The same stubborn man that had broken through her shell and challenged her to no end that she subconsciously found herself trying to meet. She never felt the urge to prove herself to another man like this. It left her with confliction.

These feelings were new and something she had not been feeling until recently. They were by no means unwelcome, but they were becoming more frequent for her taste. No amount of distance she tried to put between herself and that warmth lasted long and it was frustrating. She had things to focus on, things that were more important than something childish like that.

He was close. So close that she could feel the small breaths coming from his nose and caressing her skin. A small shudder went down her back and she snuck a glance up at him. This time his eyes were not focused on her, instead they were flicking to each side of them room as if searching for something or someone.

"Do you see them?" She whispered.

"Maybe. I think they're posting at the doors and hiding in the halls and kitchen," he whispered back.

She did her best to ignore his hand as it trailed down upper back and brushing her skin before finding the small of her back. He pulled her in close and his lips were just by her ear.

"I think we got time. Do you have access to your weapons?" He whispered.

She nodded back and pushed away from him a little. Her hand picked up on something solid under his suit and she had to do a double take. His pistol was secured well and she was silently wondering how she missed it earlier.

"I had Klein hide our weapons under the head table. We'll be ready for them," said Winter.

"Good. I think it'll go down when your dad gives the speech before dinner," Blackburn answered.

"I think you're right."

He led her back to the center of the floor and steered her in a slow sway.

She resigned herself to the dance again, previous thoughts about the White Fang gone for now. That warmth that she had broken free from with her questions was now back and felt hotter than before. A light sweat had formed around her neck and she could feel her heart race lightly.

Winter's eyes looked back up at Blackburn and he met her gaze again. The smile had returned to his face and she felt her hand squeeze his a little tighter at the sight of it. If he noticed her gesture, he hid it well.

The song was nearing its end.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" She kept her gaze on him. "That you would follow me anywhere and watch my back?"

Blackburn blinked and responded with a firm and reassuring squeeze of her hand.

"Every word, LT."

This time her heart and her stomach fluttered.

A round of applause broke her from her flustered state and she spared a look around the room. The song had ended and now they were being rewarded for the opening show. Coming back down from her high, Winter noticed two things. The first was her body was pressed against his, and the second was she felt very thirsty.

Fighting off her dazed state, her mind was able to conjure the words she needed to excuse herself to regroup. She let go of Blackburn and stepped back.

"I will be back shortly. I need something to drink," she said.

He nodded back at her with a grin.

"Go ahead," he answered.

"Then you don't mind if I borrow him for a dance?" Coco's voice came from behind her.

The brunette was wearing a dress that came down past her knees that was split at the sides to allow for more movement. It clung to her well and offered a small amount of cleavage. Her hair had a delicate sheen to it and it caught the eyes of a lot of men in the room.

Winter's eyes flicked back and forth between Blackburn and Coco before she shook her head and stood aside for the brunette.

"By all means," said Winter.

"Thank you," said Coco as she stepped up to Blackburn. "Don't think I saw you mess with the music earlier. You got anything good on that scroll?"

Blackburn only rolled his eyes and smirked down at her.

"Depends what you call good," he said.

"Got anything spicy on there?" She folded her arms under her breasts.

"Maybe."

The man's fingers were fast with the scroll as he sifted for another song. When he pushed down on it the plucks of a guitar string came over the speakers.

"Santana should work for you," said Blackburn as he tucked his scroll away.

"Fine. I can work with this," Coco answered with a grin.

Winter watched as Coco began to swing her hips to the beat with Blackburn falling into pace with her. By this point some more guests started to flock to the dance floor now that the ice had been broken.

Reminding herself of her goal, she took her eyes off of Coco and Blackburn and made her way in the direction of the open bar. Her thirst had died down, but she still wanted something to drink. She had felt tense and her blasted emotions bloomed brightly during her dance. She needed to unwind and there was a drink over there with her name on.

When she reached the bar she found the bartender polishing a small glass.

"Ah, what can I get for you, Miss Schnee?" He perked up.

There was not any beer since her father was a man of class, only liquor. She sucked her teeth as her eyes roamed the selection in front of her before they fell on an amber colored drink. Her finger pointed at it and the bartender nodded.

She watched him pour the drink into the fresh glass of ice before setting it in front of her.

"It's pretty strong, so take your time with it," he said.

She nodded and brought the glass up to her lips. The scent alone made her shudder. Taking the chance, she tilted the glass and let a small amount of it land on her tongue and sit. Her throat tightened and her lips twisted into a grimace. Definitely not her choice, but it did the job. Her shoulders relaxed and she offered a thank you to the bartender who moved to the other end of the bar to help someone else.

Winter waited for a minute before taking another sip. The taste would take getting used to, but this time she was prepared for it and let it work its magic.

"I never thought I would see the day where you resorted to that," said a woman.

She turned in the direction of her voice and her eyes fell on her mother. Her cheeks were tinted pink, but the woman was barely buzzed. She was at a loss for words and could only nod at her mother who moved to stand beside her.

"Do you have a moment?" Willow asked.

Winter's eyes flicked back to the dance floor where Blackburn and Coco were enjoying themselves before returning to her mother. She was not sure to expect from the woman, but she nodded in agreement.

Willow turned and made her way down the bar towards the hall. Winter followed close behind and they entered the abandoned hall a minute later. Once they were alone, Willow turned to face her again. Her eyes while not glazed over looked distant as though she was reflecting on something important.

"What is it?" Winter asked.

Willow looked down at the floor and swirled her glass of wine. Her lips were curled and her brow furrowed in a pensive stare. She was trying to find a way to word whatever she wanted to say. Her mother was always articulate with explaining something on her mind and perhaps in her inebriated state she was struggling to find the right words.

Her face softened and a small smile came to her lips.

"You know, you may have been too young to remember this, but when you were younger I would still do some missions for Atlas. I would come home after some of them and after seeing some of the things I had seen… I would be a mess," she began.

Winter said nothing and took a sip from her glass again as she thought about her mother's words so far. She was aware that her mother would do missions before she became pregnant with Weiss, but she could never recall her mother looking distraught or distant about them. She imagined her memory more than capable of remembering something like that and was wondering whether her mother may be recalling something she imagined. Instead she gave her the benefit of a doubt and continued to listen.

"There was one night I came home from a mission and sat in the study crying, and you found me. I was gone for a couple of days and you did what you always did by coming up to me with this big smile on your face," said Willow.

Now Winter knew that was true. She had always been happy to see her mother come back home, but this one memory in particular was one she still had trouble pinpointing.

"You came up to me and asked, "Mommy, why are you sad?" And I just smiled back and said that I was happy to be back home with you. You were too young to understand what I saw and I didn't want to burden you with my troubles. That was supposed to be your father's job. But you smiled at me again and hugged me saying, "Everything's going to be okay, Mommy. I'm here now."

Something distant from Winter's memory became clearer. Her mother sitting in a thick oak cushioned chair in a dirty Atlas Military uniform stained with dirt, blood, and torn in various spots. Dried tear streaks were on her cheeks with more tears being held back behind blue eyes struggling to be strong.

Then an embrace. A loving hold between mother and daughter that served as a light of peace and serenity for one and promise for the other. Then tears meeting her cheeks as she comforted the older woman as best she could.

The memory was real, but what Winter found surprising about it was that it was the biggest one to inspire her to follow her mother's footsteps. To ease her pain by promising to not only be strong to help her, but to take her place so she could be free of the duty. How could a memory so cherished by her be buried so deep down?

Did she truly lose that much respect for her mother in the years following that night? The mere thought of that alone made her stomach twist in shame.

"Winter, I'm sorry," said Willow as her eyes turned up to meet hers.

Her eyes became glossy as tears built up in them. Her breath became shaky as her hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

"For what?" Winter asked tilting her heard curiously.

Willow shook her head and sniffed.

"You shouldn't have been saying that to me, I should have been saying that to you," her voice shook as she tried to speak.

Willow squeezed her shoulder and she could feel her mother's hand trembling. She was struggling to confess her thoughts.

"I have been a terrible mother. I put so much on your shoulders after Weiss was born and made you grow up too fast. You took care of Weiss and you took care of Whitley, and not once did I ever hear you complain," she continued.

Winter bit her lip. While it was true that her mother never heard her complain about it, she must have known she was aware of her feelings. Not only that, she herself felt somewhat guilty about her mother's words because she vented them to Blackburn just two days before after keeping them bottled down for so long.

A tear trickled down her mother's face as she pulled herself closer to her. She pressed her forehead to hers and her hand trailed up to gently stroke her face. At first the tender touch surprised Winter, but she felt that familiar comfort return and it resembled the same moment that night in the study years ago.

"Winter, I just want you to know… that I am so proud of you," said Willow.

Winter only stood in shock. The very woman who she looked up to more than anything and the very same woman who had more or less been absent for the second half of her life was now revealing exactly what she wanted to hear from her for the longest time.

She didn't dare speak. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't trust her voice. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes began to sting with unshed tears. She blinked quickly to keep them from falling and had to fight the sensation as it threatened to return.

"Is this you talking?" Winter asked, hoping it wasn't the alcohol.

A shaky laugh and another stroke of her thumb.

"Yes."

Winter set her drink down on the nearby stand and wrapped her mother in a tight hug. Her eyes closed and she smiled lightly into her shoulder when her mother's arms wrapped around her.

* * *

Fox had managed to break free from the confines of the packed hall. He had to deal with a lot of high class citizens and even heard derogatory comments towards Velvet with her Faunus heritage. It infuriated him to no end and he came close to swinging at some of the guests. With great restraint he excused himself from his friends and found himself in the large garden outside.

The peaceful night air was cool, but not frigid. He half expected Atlas to be cold enough to cut to the bone, but the timing of their trip turned out to be perfect. The late spring had warmed the mountainous territory to that of Vale's average summer night. He could even smell the moisture in the air that would give way to storms later.

His scroll vibrated and he rolled his eyes lightly. He was sure it was Coco or Velvet trying to reach him and coerce him to come back inside and lighten up, but when he pushed the answer button he was surprised to hear Yang.

"Hey Foxy, where are you at?" She asked.

"I'm in Atlas," he replied.

"Atlas? I thought you said you were here this weekend?"

"Girl, I told you I wasn't going to be there. You looked me right in the eyes when I said that."

"Did I really? Are you sure?"

"Screw you."

"Buy me dinner first then we'll see what happens, big boy."

He felt his shoulders shake as he let out a chuckle. Since they hung out during the mission in Junior's bar the week before, they had been talking more frequently. Heck, she even met up in the gym with him a couple of times to do some sparring.

When Coco told him that Yang was the one that had been sizing him up a couple of times, he didn't believe her. Not that he didn't think it was possible, but because he never paid her much thought. Sure, she looked good, but personality was another factor for him when it came to a girl. She had to be someone he could talk to and get along with. If not, she was not worth it.

He presumed Yang to be more of a flirt than anything, but so far she had been the girl to entertain him much like Coco had as his partner.

"So how's the party? Boring?" Yang asked.

"It's rich people, what'd you expect?" He sighed. "They're pissing me off."

"Should've known, but what did they do?"

"Talking shit about Velvet being a Faunus. Man, I knew there was still racism towards Faunus, but I think I've heard more comments about her tonight than I have during a whole year in Beacon."

He heard Yang sigh on the other end of the line and could almost picture her shaking her head at that.

"Yeah, anyway, I'm sure you didn't call just to hear me complain. What's going on with you?" He sat down on a stone bench.

"Not much. Just got out of the shower and thought I'd hit you up," she answered back.

"Thanks for that image."

"I knew you'd like it."

"I think any guy would."

Fox heard the music grow loud and muffle a second later. Someone had exited the hall and was on the opposite path walking through the garden. The figure seemed to be around his height as he closed his eyes to analyze it. Footsteps were light, as if they were being cautious of disturbing anyone that could be out there.

He craned his neck and stood up slightly to look in the man's direction. The black and white outline of him was visible, but it was fading by the second. He made note of it and waited for a couple of seconds before walking down the path to stick close to him.

The man was heading in the direction of one of the overwatch points that Blackburn and Winter made note of during their brief before the banquet. That was cause for concern and given he was the only one out there at the moment, he had to play it safe. It was possible that this person was out for a breath of fresh air, but it could not go ignored.

"Is being a bodyguard for some businessman all that it's cracked up to be?" Yang asked.

"Not really. Would probably enjoy it more if it was for a cute girl," Fox answered coolly.

A playful gasp came from Yang's end.

"Oh, and what about me? Am I not cute enough to be guarded?" She pouted.

"First off you're hot, not cute. There's a difference. Second, I've seen how you fight. You don't need me there to protect your ass." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, smooth. But I think you're lying. You wish you had my ass in your hand."

He felt his face heat up as he stopped short of the connecting path. His eyes flicked over to the other path where he saw the figure stop. The man was possibly waiting to be sure he was alone before continuing.

"That's beside the point," he answered back without even thinking.

"Aha! So you are an ass man!" She said.

"Yeah, but let's be real here. Men go the ass, boys go for the boobs. So what does that tell you?"

Yang laughed heartily, but was quick with her own comeback.

"Hey, I had to test you. So far you're on the right track. I got the best of both worlds."

"I know, but how many times have you gotten an answer like mine?" He checked the spot the man was hiding at.

The man was gone, but he heard a door close just ahead of where he was. He cursed inwardly and hurried over to it, but stopped just shy of it.

"Can't give you an honest answer," said Yang. "When do you get back?"

"Three days," said Fox.

"You're killin' me, Foxy. You said you had some cool moves to show me."

"I do, but I don't know if you can handle them."

He heard her scoff.

"Who're you talking to?" She asked.

"A cocky but hot freshman," he answered as he opened the door slowly.

He poked his head inside and he could hear the faint footsteps of the man that entered a couple floors above. The man was on his way to the roof. He had to move.

"Hey, I'll call you back later. I need to check something," he said.

"Work?" Yang asked back.

"Yeah, I think something's about to go down."

"Don't get too banged up. You owe me some new moves, sensei."

He hung up and crept to the base of the staircase. Now free of his distraction he was able to focus on the matter at hand. Above him he heard a door close and he quickly bounded up the stairs towards the rooftop.

During his stride he pulled out his scroll again and prepared an instant message.

"I got movement heading to the southwest rooftop. Get ready to move Mister Schnee to the safe room," said Fox.

He sent the message and set the scroll back in his pocket.

As he reached the top of the stairs he hugged the wall and closed his eyes. The man's footsteps were faint, but he was able to sense him near the corner of the rooftop. Outside the door there was no cover save for the roof ledge. He would need to move fast when he saw his chance.

He fingers slowly turned the knob and he pulled back slowly to avoid making the door creak. The night air met him and he crouched low to stay out of sight. His ears heard something click and then a faint pull of a charging handle. A bullet was locked and loaded. A shift in the man's position and he saw him take a knee as he touched the ground. The barrel of his rifle was resting on the ledge lined up for a shot.

It was now or never.

In a burst of speed that could give Ruby a run for her money, Fox shot out of the doorway. His feet barely made a sound as he lunged for the man. His arm wrapped around the man's neck just as a loud shot rang out.

Through his ringing ear, Fox heard a shatter of glass across the courtyard.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger like that? Yuuup. It's about to go down next chapter, so that gives you something to look forward to. Confrontations and revelations galore! On another positive note, my Ft. Knox mission is wrapping up and will finish within the next couple of weeks which means I will have time to do more writing, so we should get back to an update schedule soon enough. Check out the statements below, and I'll see you all next time.**

 **Statements:**

 **1.) Don't forget the new poll for this story on my profile page. It will remain up until the last couple of chapters for the story and is in regards to whether people would like to see a sequel to this story with Blackburn or let it end where I planned originally**

 **2.) The scene with Blackburn and Winter dancing has artwork! The link is on my profile page, check it out if you like!**

 **3.) Update schedule should be coming back into play soon enough, just be patient a little longer.**

 **Military Terms**

 **LT: Short for Lieutenant**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Andy021: Thanks for the review and the compliment. I'm glad you like the story. Yes, I am in the U.S. Army, going on my 4th year in August. Sequel is reader dependent. I have a poll for the possibility of one on my profile page that will remain up until the stories last chapters. Whatever the result, will be the answer to the sequel.**

 **CT7567Rules: Ah, I see, no worries. Thanks for the review, I appreciate.**

 **OBSERVOR01: Thanks for the review, I appreciate it! Yeah, I remember you saying you wanted to see Weiss react to Blackburn's music, and while it would have been hard to squeeze it in the actual story, I did a small omake to humor you.**

 **welcometodalolz: Much appreciated. Damn, haven't seen something from you in ages.**

 **Dasgun: Um, okay?**


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